Embrace what Fate Hands You
by tess4aria
Summary: Severus is thrown into a Parallel Universe where Lily survived, while his counterpart is flung into the nightmarish world of the Canon. But is this a meaningless reprieve from reality, or a lifechanging chance for Sev? Please R&R! Partial AU
1. Waking to a Nightmare

_**Embrace What Fate Hands You**_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 1: Waking to a Nightmare<strong>_

**Canon World**

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><p>I will alternate between the Canan and Parallel worlds in this story. Take note that Parallel Snape is from an AU, so he will be somewhat OOC.<p>

_Note: This story was influnced by Malora's _Never Say Remember_. If you haven't read it, check it out! An astonishingly awesome story. And without further ado, here we go~!_

I do not own Harry Potter.

**_Please R&R~! Thanks so much!_**

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><p>o O o O o<p>

In that space between sleep and wake, Severus Snape let his arm wander to the space beside him, only to be met with a cold, lonely, and very unexpected emptiness.

"Lily," he mumbled, but there was no response. Eyebrows furrowed, he opened his eyes, expecting to see fiery red curtaining those smiling emerald orbs he so adored. Instead, his eyes only met the dark walls of his dungeon bedroom.

His gaze instantly fell to the pillow beside him, but rather than the warm, fresh imprint of his wife, he saw a seemingly unused, starched-looking pillow. The sheets, too, were uncommonly undisturbed.

A wave of panic overtook the Potions master, and he sat up suddenly, eyes darting frantically around the space of his bed chamber.

"Lily?" He called out, trying to keep his voice calm. Part of him thought he was being absurd to feel so unsettled at waking up to an empty bed. After all, it wasn't unlike Lily to go out in the early morning to gather some potion ingredients, but a part of him insisted that something just wasn't right.

Standing up and walking around the room, he noticed little strange differences in his bedroom. There were a few items, here and there, he didn't recognize, but even more disturbing was the absence of items he knew had made themselves home in his Hogwarts Private Quarters for the past 13 or so years. Lily's make-up kit, her favorite squishy armchair, the Charms journals which normally sat beside his Potions quarterlies…they were all gone, as if they had never been there in the first place.

His heart was pounding fiercely now, but he still insisted he was jumping to conclusions as he frozenly made his way to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He half-smirked at himself for his stupidity as he checked off one of his panicked conclusions to explain the odd familiar-yet-unfamiliar room. No, he had not switched bodies. Although, on second glance, his reflection honestly didn't look quite as he expected it to. His hair was slighter lanker, his skin slightly sallower, and more insistent frown lines marked his face like spider webs.

He made to brush his teeth and another wave of confused panic overtook him as he gazed at the sight of his toothbrush, all alone. For Lily's purple toothbrush was nowhere to be seen. Roughly, he grabbed at the shower curtain, and his suspicions were confirmed when Lily's shampoo, loofa and favorite bath salts were all missing.

His heart was once again jumping frantically, and Severus spun around and flew into the living room. He balked at what he saw. The photographs he treasured, of himself, Lily and Harry, were all gone. His mahogany mantelpiece looked extremely forlorn without them. This whole room, and the kitchen as well, looked bare and cold, robbed of the warmth _she _had brought to it. It was a strange sight, and it terrified Severus.

As one morose conclusion nudged at him, he roughly shoved it away. _She couldn't have! Lily wouldn't!_

His head was warring with his pounding heart to try to make some sense of just what was going on. It was as if Lily had woken up and left, taking every bit of herself, every evidence of their shared lives with her. But why? To the best of his knowledge, she had been as happy as he had. Had he just been deluding himself? Had Lily grown tired of him while he looked the other way, too absorbed in his research?

But no. He knew Lily. She would never have left without saying anything first, with no warning. She would never have done that to him. Or to Harry.

But then what had happened? A fresh wave of panic swept over him as he considered different possibilities-different rationals for what would suddenly cause Lily to vanish along with every bit of light and color she had brought to his quarters, as if she had never given that light to his life.

Without another moment of hesitation, Severus grabbed a handful of floo powder and called the headmaster's office.

He was instantly greeted by the same impossibly cheerful twinkling he made himself be patient with most days. Now was not one of those days. "Severus, my dear boy! Is something the matter?"

"Albus," he began, trying to school his features not to reveal just how panicked he felt. "Something's happened. I woke up, and…Lily! She's gone, I-"

Severus expected his old friend and mentor to look disturbed, concerned, perhaps betraying a hint of fear, and to instantly fly into war-mode, demanding details. What he didn't expect was the look he actually gave him. Concern, but not as he expected it. It was as if this concern was more focused towards him than the threat for Lily. Albus Dumbledore, in fact, simply looked at him with pity and disbelief for a time, and seemed quite speechless, something almost unheard of for the old wizard.

"Severus, my boy? Are you quite alright?" He asked softly.

"No, Albus! I am most certainly not alright! I woke up this morning to find myself alone in bed, with every evidence of my wife vanished into thin air! I don't believe for an instant that she left for no good reason without telling me, so something must have happened! You have to do something!"

Dumbledore seemed to consider the frantic man for a time, and Severus was becoming increasingly impatient, before the old wizard said, softly, "I'm afraid, Severus, that I am not quite sure of what you speak. Your wife, you say?"

Severus gaped at him. "This is not the time for games, Albus! Where is Lily? And Harry, is he alright?"

Albus swallowed a lump in his throat. "Severus, I'm afraid I'm going to need to talk to you face-to-face. We have…much to discuss."

Severus' fists were turning chalk white in worry and impatience, but he managed to bite out, "Fine, Albus. I'll be right there" before flooing the rest of the way into the Headmaster's office.

At least this place looked the same, he thought, though that was little comfort to him at the moment. "What's going on, Albus?" he demanded, and the older wizard looked at him again with that strange, unnerving look. Of mostly pity, confusion, concern and suspicion.

"That's precisely what I'm trying to determine, my dear boy," he said softly. "You were mentioning…your wife, I believe?"

Scowling at Albus in frustration, Severus simply nodded.

"And you said…her name is Lily?"

Severus turned a very suspicious glare on the headmaster. "What the bloody hell, Albus! You know very well that Lily and I have been married for the last 13 years!"

Albus was silent for a moment, but then pushed on anyway, asking deceivingly nonchalantly, "That would be…just to make sure I'm clear…Lily who?"

Severus gaped at him in disbelief before saying, his tone roiling with disdain, "Lily Evans Snape, of course! What are you on about, old man? You know that as well as I do-you were the one to preside over our vows, Albus!"

A flicker of understanding flashed through the old man's eyes, but he said, very softly, "My dear boy, this is not to say I don't believe you are in earnest, but I am afraid that I must take measures to ensure you are who you say you are."

Severus' scowl returned fiercely. "Albus, I can tell you anything you need to know, but what are you saying? Why would you have reason to suspect me? We're wasting valuable time, old man! Lily could be hurt, or…or even…" He couldn't finish that statement, but Albus spoke again, this time a deep sadness pervading his voice.

"I'm afraid, dear boy, that it won't make much of a difference whether we hurry, as you say, or not."

At that, Severus stood up abruptly and hit the man with a glare terrifying enough to make many a grown wizard weak-kneed, but before he could say anything, Albus raised one hand to silence him, and set him with a pleading look.

"Severus, my dear boy, Lily has not been taken away, if that is what you fear. I need to retrieve something to clear things up for both of us, so please wait here for me for a moment, my dear boy."

At Albus' pleading look and sincere voice, Severus finally took a breath and collapsed on a squishy armchair, steepling his hands and nodding numbly.

Before the headmaster could leave to his adjoining room, Severus' voice rang out once more, hoarsely, "Just answer me this. Is Harry safe? Is he here?"

A momentary flash of confusion passed Albus' face before comprehension seemed to dawn once again and a sad, small smile brushed his lips. "Harry, dear boy? As well as can be expected, considering," and with that, the man was gone.

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><p>o O o O o<p>

Severus had barely been able to consider the baffling exchange between himself and Albus when suddenly, the door was flung open and one of the objects of his thoughts burst into the room.

A wave of overwhelming relief overtook Severus. At least one thing in his world wasn't falling apart. Almost unconsciously, Severus rose from his chair and approached the flushed, dark-haired boy and abruptly pulled him into a tight embrace.

Harry's mind was frozen. He had come bursting into the headmaster's office, clutching a broken fragment of his two-way mirror, hoping against hope that Dumbledore would be able to do something to mend it, to somehow reforge the connection. That maybe, possibly, he could still contact Sirius beyond the veil.

What he hadn't expected was to find himself face-to-face with his hated Potions instructor, the man he blamed as much as he did himself for his Godfather's death.

He had barely recovered from the shock of seeing the man he hated in place of the Headmaster he already felt betrayed by to wonder at the way he was looking at him-for once, without loathing, but with…what? Emotions he had never thought would ever touch those coal-black eyes. For the Potions Master's eyes were filled with what looked like an uncommon, deep concern, pain, and sadness. But when they focused on him they held mostly…relief? And some other, stronger emotion that almost made Harry pass out right there in shock. No, he had to be imagining it.

And then, what happened next, was something that he wouldn't have possibly imagined in his wildest dreams. The tall, dark man, his gaze never leaving him, stooped down ever-so-slightly, and pulled him into a tight, surprisingly warm embrace.

About two seconds later, Harry regained his senses enough to realize just whose chest, and whose black robes, he was being crushed into. With an upsurge of abhorrence, fear and anger, he pushed the man away, roughly, and set him with his fiercest scowl. He didn't say anything, however. He couldn't quite find the words to fit the situation. It was too surreal, and it made too little sense.

"Harry?" Snape said softly, and Harry was momentarily taken aback by the way the man spoke his name, _his first name_. Snape's voice was so much softer and gentler than usual that it was almost unrecognizable as the voice of the man who had made his life miserable for the last 5 years.

Harry quickly steeled his expression. The man had to be playing a joke on him. That had to be it. He was clearly trying to humiliate him to get him back for looking in his pensieve. Harry flinched at the memory. For whatever Snape may have thought of him, it brought him no joy to see how his own father had treated the snarky Potions Master. Dudley and his gang had long-ago put him off bullies for life.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

Harry flinched again at the use of his first name. He grimaced. "I'm here to see the headmaster, sir. But I'll come back later," he bit out.

Harry spun around and made his way to the doorway, but he was stopped by a firm grip on his upper arm.

"Harry, what's going on? What do you need to see the headmaster about? And where's your mother? I've been worried sick about her! And you too, for that matter, young man!"

Harry froze. For a few seconds, he said nothing. He was stunned, beyond belief, that even this man, as much as he hated him (unfairly as far as Harry was concerned), would go so far as to taunt him with his mother's death.

Slowly, he turned, and Severus was taken aback by the venom and pain in the green eyes he knew so well, and loved so much.

"That's low, sir."

"I don't understand-"

"Dumbledore's made excuses for you, and sure, I get it, maybe you're not on Voldemort's side, but as far as I'm concerned, Snape, you're as evil as they come."

Severus felt as if a shard of glass had been shoved into his heart. The loathing and anger in the boy's tone, and his words, were almost too much. Severus didn't understand what Harry was going on about, or honestly, what had him so incensed, but then a wave of anger overtook him as he thought back over Harry's wordchoice.

"What did you just call me?"

The boy stared at him for a moment before biting out "_Snape_! That's your name, isn't it? Oh, but if you don't like that, maybe I'll just pull one out of my dad's book! It's what you expect of me anyway, right _Snivellus_?" Harry sneered the nickname, and he felt, as he spat the word vomit, that he was filling himself with poison rather than extracting it. But he was too angry to care.

But then he saw the look on Snape's face, and he faltered. As expected, the man's face showed shock, anger and humiliation, but what cut Harry out of his haze of anger was the deep, almost painful hurt in the man's eyes. Wasn't that a little extreme for a simple word? But no. Harry knew that was a sore point with the man, and it gave him no pleasure to think of how this grown man had once suffered at the hands of bullies-like Harry's father and Godfather. Thinking this, Harry almost took it back, but then he held his tongue. He might as well give Snape the pleasure of screaming at him. Not like it mattered anyway. Nothing mattered, now that Sirius was gone…

But to his utter surprise, Snape didn't scream. Though he looked incredibly angry, he managed to school his features, and simply said, softly, "How…did you hear that name?"

Harry stared at him as if he'd gone crazy but found himself answering him. "Well, sir, that's what you were so angry with me about, right? That I got into the pensieve and saw that memory of yours? Of your fifth year, after OWLs?"

The man paled, but he still looked overwhelmingly confused. "What do you mean, Harry? I don't remember showing you that memory."

Harry gaped at him. "You don't…remember, sir? You didn't show it to me! I broke in, well…oh, sod it all, who cares? Are you alright, sir?"

Severus bit his lip. Something was seriously wrong. What was going on with Harry? Possible conclusions were flitting through Severus' mind but they were all just too bizarre, and too terrifying. Taking a deep breath, he said, softly, "Why…do you keep calling me _sir_, Harry? We're not in class." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "And…please, Harry, don't panic, but have you seen Lily? She wasn't there when I woke up…of course, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, son. Albus assured me she wasn't kidnapped or anything so-"

Severus trailed off at the look on the boy's face. Harry was breathing in long, heaving breaths, as if attempting to stop an explosion. But then, his eyes full of unshed tears, he looked up and met his eyes with a furious glare, "You BASTARD! How can you joke about a thing like that? You know as well as I do my parents have been dead for 15 years! Why the hell would you ask me where my mum is? She's where she's been as long as I can remember-in her grave in Godric's Hollow! So don't…don't…" He broke off, his anger fading into painful tears.

But now it was Severus' turn to be furious. "Don't you dare," he hissed, and Harry froze momentarily at the familiar tone. "Is this some kind of witty prank, Harry? Did Draco put you up to this? Or the Weasley twins?"

"Draco? Why the hell would I talk to that bastard! And sir…you seriously need to speak with Madame Pomfrey if you don't know what I'm on about."

"Just explain this to me, Harry. Please. Why do you think your mother's dead?" He asked softly, pleadingly.

Harry's furious scowl froze his heart, and he felt such tremendous waves of pain and rage and hopelessness rolling from the boy that his confusion and irritation of seconds previous were replaced with a sudden desperate urge to grab his son and hold him close until they could figure out just what the hell was going on. He reached out, but the boy flinched back and scowled again.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't touch me, Snape!"

"Snape? Harry, why are you calling me that? I'm your father, for gods sake!"

Harry's expression underwent such a vast number of contortions that Severus would have found it amusing had the situation not been what it was. His face was momentarily blank, almost catatonic, and then confusion and horror overtook it, and then it turned red and splotchy in anger. But when he opened his mouth, he just laughed bitterly. "Oh, that takes the cake. I don't know what you're trying to prove, sir, but I'm really not in the mood. Go feed your lies to someone who cares."

And with that, he wrenched his arm from Severus' grip and fled down the spiral staircase.

Severus instantly took chase, but the boy was fast. He had an idea of where he might have run off to, though. After all, Harry tended to go to the same places whenever he was particularly distraught. It would just really help if Severus had a clue what was going on! For a moment he considered that this was a nightmare, and that he would wake up soon, safe in Lily's embrace, and Harry would join them for breakfast and tease him while they discussed their summer vacation plans…

But the pain as he jammed his toe against a wall didn't help to support that conclusion. He was just about to enter the entrance hallway when a familiar face stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Severus! Thank goodness I found you!"

"Remus! Did you see Harry? I need to speak with him!" Severus grasped the werewolf's shoulders and looked at him with a fierce expression on his face.

"Actually, Severus, Albus asked me to find you out and bring you to his office…he has something very urgent to speak with you about that should help things make a lot more sense…"

"But Harry is-"

"Harry will be fine, Severus." Remus looked at him with a bemused expression but hid it quickly and offered him a reassuring smile. "Please, Severus. I'll find Harry and bring him to meet you."

Severus raised an eyebrow, and in answer to his unspoken question, Remus waved a familiar map before him. "See? With this, there should be no problem."

Severus sighed. "Very well. I'm honestly too confused and exhausted to figure this out on my own, anyway. I'll meet Albus. But make sure you're easy on Harry, Remi. He's…quite fragile right now."

Severus had already turned and left the hallway, and so missed the look of absolute shock on the former DADA teacher's face as he mouthed silently, "_Remi?"_

As Remus turned to find Harry, he could only think that Albus had to be right. This was not the Severus Snape they knew. But how had this happened? And what had happened to their Severus?

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><p>Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please remember to review if you can take the second!<p>

Next Time: The Severus we know so well wakes in a Parallel World~

Till next time!

tess4aria


	2. Parallel: Waking to a Fantasy

_**Parallel Chapter 1: Waking to a Fantasy**_

_**Parallel World**_

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter has been redone-not entirely, but I have edited it to make things significantly less sappy...and make much more sense in the wider context of the story. Hope you approve~**

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! You all are fantastic and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Here we have a longer chapter, set in the parallel world with Canon Snape! Takes place during the same time the last chapter did.

Warning: There are some T+ sections/mild-M (that is, light sexual references) in the beginning segment of this chapter. Read at your own risk!

Please let me know how I'm doing!

I do not own Harry Potter.

**_Please R&R~!_**

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><p>o O o O o<p>

Professor Severus Snape scowled as he felt himself returning to the waking world. He had been wrenched from a particularly wonderful dream which, of course, when faced with the cruel reality of his life, would feel more like a horrific nightmare than anything. No doubt today would be full of none of the sweet kisses and gentle touches of his dream world, but rather with the whining complaints of many a brat, er, student.

He would, knowing his luck, be called into Albus' office where he would be forced to drink sickeningly sugared tea and eat those detestable lemon drops, and then get guilt-tripped into babysitting that damned bloody Boy-Who-Lived. He would no doubt be forced to hear, once again, that as Black's death was still weighing heavily on the precious little Savior-brat, he should be gentle on the boy.

_Yeah, right. The last thing a brat like Potter needs is more damn coddling. Be gentle on him, my arse! Black was a nuisance. His influence is nothing to mourn. Not that I should expect Potter to see that but he is better off without him!_

With another grumble, Snape rolled over and let his arms stretch out. A rare smile ghosted on his lips as the scent which had enveloped him throughout his dreams embraced him once again. A soft touch, so incredibly soft to be almost impossible, stroked his cheek. Snape realized he must still be dreaming. And then, he felt a sensation more vivid and heartbreakingly perfect than anything in his wildest dreams as his lips were lost entirely in the softest, most earnest, most fitting kiss he had ever experienced. The taste was beyond words. This sweet phantom continued to kiss him and he found himself responding. Then, the ghostly touches on his face returned, and then moved, and he felt soft, gentle, practiced fingers running lovingly through his hair.

Severus, eyes still closed, let his hands move forward. He found the softest cheeks imaginable, and then lovely, soft, long hair. He stroked it, and then buried his face in the locks as he let his hands move down the lithe body which moved ever closer to his. She, it, whatever this being was, fit with him so perfectly. This had to be a dream sent from Merlin above to torment him. For never had he felt sensations like this, love like this. For absurdly, that's what it felt like. And besides, this was just a dream, so he had no reason to mince words or feelings. He was in love with this projection of his desires and wants.

And he knew exactly who he would proclaim this dream-love to be. "Lily," he murmured.

To his surprise, he found himself being kissed again, even more fervently, as he said the name. He could hardly stop himself from smirking. Of course this most vivid of dream sensations would come in the form of the one woman he had ever truly cared for.

"Morning, Sev," a soft, heartbreakingly sweet voice whispered against his neck. The warmth and vibration of the voice against his throat sent shivers through him.

He gripped this wonderful dream-Lily more tightly to him, and assaulted her once more with kisses. Phantom-Lily laughed, an astonishing, soul-lifting sound, and Snape found himself weakening. That was it. He was never waking up.

"Open your eyes, Sev! You don't have to act as if this is your only chance to hold me, silly!"

"Oh, but it is," Severus mumbled. "I don't want this dream to end, Lily. You're not real, you see. That's why I can't open my eyes."

"Oh really, Sev? If I weren't real could I do this?" Her mischievous, laughing voice sent shivers down his spine, and then he gasped as very warm and very real-feeling hands moved lower and explored his body thoroughly. In his surprise, Severus opened his eyes, and there, dancing before him in high humor and affection and undeniable desire, was the object of his dreams.

For a time, Severus could only stare at Lily, lying there beside him in all her incredible, full-bodied, unclothed, wild-haired, green-eyed beauty. He knew her to be dead, and yet here she was. His eyes had to be playing a trick on him, and yet all his senses were screaming at him to believe what he saw. Lily, his Lily, the girl (now woman) of his dreams, was lying beside him in bed, and was now staring at him in slight concern, stroking his cheek with one hand, and calling his name.

"Sev? What's wrong, Sev? What's on your mind?"

Severus blinked. He didn't want this dream to end, but what if this were nothing more than a cruel joke? For it couldn't be real. He knew that to be true. There was nothing he could do about it. Lily was dead, and the sooner he stopped living in denial, the better.

But he thought he had. For years he had lived on, attempting to accept that she was never coming back, but his life had never gotten any better. In fact, only in this moment, and in those few minutes kissing her, and being in bed with her, whether dream or reality, did he feel himself in the throws of a life he actually wanted to live.

But the more wonderful the dream, the more awful the reality, and so he flung himself backwards out of bed, summoned his wand, and in mere seconds had it poised at the neck of the person who just had to be an imposter.

The woman's expression turned from concern and affection to a mixture of anger, shock and hurt in split seconds. Severus noticed that there was very little fear. Whoever this imposter was didn't seem to think he would or could hurt her for one reason or another…

"Who are you?" He growled. "How dare you? What kind of sick joke do you think this is?"

She blinked, watching him in obvious confusion. As she watched him, and the seconds flew by, and as his distrustful eyes never wavered, he noticed the hurt which seemed so faint at first was beginning to cloud over her eyes, yet she was still holding his gaze with equal parts concern and affection as well.

"What are you saying, Sev?" She asked quietly. "No joke. Just me. Just your wife, Lily." She smiled warmly at him, as if letting him know she didn't hold his antics against him. For Severus though, he wanted so much to believe her, those words she said, those impossible words out of his wildest fantasies, and yet he knew them to not be true, and so fear and anger overtook him.

"Don't!" He screamed, and she did flinch then at his tone, but she never let her gaze waver from his.

"Don't you dare…how dare you? Who are you? What is this? Polyjuice potion? But no…that's impossible." Because as he gazed at her, he realized. Even if someone had managed to grab a hair of hers 15 years ago, they would look just as she did all that time ago, and yet the woman in front of him was very definitely Lily, but clearly a Lily in her mid to late thirties. 37, just like he, he mused. But nevertheless, she was even more beautiful than he remembered, even more stunning than she had been at 20.

"Some Glamourie, then" he said weakly, but the look in her green eyes, so sincere, so honest, so affectionate, was undoing him on the spot, and he found himself crumpling against the wall as she crept towards him, apparently unconcerned that he still had his wand brandished in her direction.

She merely followed him, still completely naked, and knelt before him, gazing earnestly up at him. "What's wrong, Sev? Tell me, why don't you believe it's me? Here, ask me anything, I'll prove it! Oh, sod it all, I don't feel like wasting time, I'll just grab some Veritaserum…we have some in the store closet. One sec!"

And Severus simply watched her helplessly as she skipped away like a forest nymph. He vaguely noticed how cold he was, and looking down, registered that he, too, was entirely unclothed on the floor of his bedchamber. Then, the beautiful red-haired woman returned, and uncorked a vial of clear liquid. She smiled at Severus.

"See? Why don't you give it to me. Make sure you know it's genuine."

Not moving his gaze from her, he sniffed and tested the potion. Satisfied, he let three drops of the powerful truth potion land on her tongue, and she sat down, cross-legged before him. He could barely stand to look at her, breasts full and beautiful on her well-proportioned, ivory-skinned body, and yet he could not look away from her. He was absolutely struck dumb with awe and confusion. Suddenly, he realized he hardly cared if she were real or not. She was his to look at at the moment, and that was good enough. Or nearly, at least, for he could think of a number of things he would rather do than simply look…

Her eyes took on a dull, glazed look due to the Veritaserum, and it took Severus a moment to remember that he needed to ask her questions. And why again was he questioning this beautiful creature? Ah yes! To determine whether this woman was his beloved, magically brought back from the dead, or a cruel imposter, sent to deliver him to his death with a broken heart, or simply a figment of his lonely, diseased mind.

Clearing his throat, he choked out, "Who are you?"

"Lily Evans Snape," she responded unhesitatingly.

And that first answer rendered him speechless for so long he feared the potion may have already worn off.

"How-how is that possible? You died! 15 years ago, the Dark Lord, he-"

"I did not die," she said tonelessly. "James Potter was killed 15 years ago. Harry and I were saved by Severus Snape and brought to Hogwarts. Two years later, Severus and I married, and we have been living at Spinner's End, raising Harry together ever since."

"That's absurd. That's not how it happened at all!" But she didn't respond. Then he registered another part of what she had said that he found incredibly odd. "R-raise Potter? What? That's insane, I-"

Again, she didn't respond, and it hit him that to one under Veritaserum, his words would make very little sense. Then a horrible thought occurred to him. If he had raised the brat, and if he were married to her…would the brat be…his? No, Merlin's Beard! No way in seven hells!

Snape tried to take deep calming breaths, attempting to convince himself he didn't care, but it nevertheless bugged him, and he couldn't help but ask…

"I bet the brat, er, Po-Harry, wasn't pleased to be raised by a Snape," he sneered.

Lily blinked, and it seemed as if her consciousness under the potion were trying to laugh, but her face remained expressionless and she responded, still tonelessly, "Harry loves his father, Severus Snape. He is very pleased to be his son. He, after all, is a Snape as well, as Sev adopted him soon after our marriage."

And once again, Snape found himself lost for words. This was insane. This could not be Veritaserum…maybe it was essence of insanity? Or, some potion designed to make the one who takes it spew only the innermost dreams of the one administering it? Well, no. _No bloody way would I want that brat to be my own…of course, there is something to say for me taking him away from that arrogant sod James Potter…but that's not the point! I don't want Potter, I don't want anything to do with him! What did this alternate me think he was doing?_

Suddenly, Severus stopped, as he realized in his ramblings he may have just figured out what the hell was going on.

"I'm in a different universe," he whispered. He knew it had to be true. After all, unless he were completely delusional, and suffering from some extremely powerful memory charm, he knew the reality he remembered to be real, and despite his grumblings to the opposite, he knew this woman-Lily!-had truly taken Veritaserum. So they both remembered completely different events, both sets of events which seemed to be true. Parallel Universes was the only explanation that seemed to make sense. After all, he had heard of such a thing before, though it wasn't something to be found in most library collections.

"A different universe?" Lily, woken from her truth potion-induced state, asked suspiciously.

Severus flinched, and then gaped, for he suddenly found himself face to face with the truth. This woman, this beautiful being, this beautiful, utterly naked and perfect person before him, nearly on his lap, was truly Lily Evans. And even better, Lily Evans Snape! She was his wife, albeit in another universe, but nevertheless! Even the thought that she was destined to be his in another lifetime filled him with a degree of hope and joy and giddiness he could scarcely remember feeling before. He could barely suppress the smile that graced his lips, though it did, admittedly, more resemble a smirk, the necessary muscles being so out of practice.

"Sev? Earth to Sev! Should I call Poppy down here? Of course, you're going to have to put some clothes on. I don't want anyone else, not even our dear friend Poppy, to get a glimpse of what is so. Entirely. Mine," she finished, grinning evilly and giving him little kisses along his collarbone.

Severus suddenly couldn't hold on another instant, and grabbing her around the shoulders, pulled her into him and crushed her in a desperate, possessive embrace. He just held onto her, for how long he wasn't sure, unable to believe what was happening. He knew he was rambling, a few tears may even have escaped. He couldn't care less at the moment. All he could vaguely remember, beside the feel of her warm, soft body against his, was his saying over and over again, like a chant or a prayer, "Oh, Lily."

At Severus' actions, Lily stiffened in surprise and concern, but she could feel he wasn't in the state to answer questions and so hugged him back tightly, burying her face in his strong chest and the crook of his neck. As he held her even more tightly, she found her heart fluttering, and she oddly had the sensation that she was a young woman again in the early days of her relationship with Sev when every hug or kiss or clasped hand made her jittery and mad. Whatever was wrong with Severus, her heart went out to him, and she found herself crying against him, though she wasn't sure why.

Eventually, however, she leaned back ever so slightly, gently ran a hand through his hair and cupped his face, staying in his lap yet moving so she could see his face clearly. Her eyes narrowed in concern and she spoke softly. "Sev, love. What's wrong? You've been funny all morning. Please tell me what's wrong!"

He regarded her in silence for a time before saying, hoarsely, "I…can't."

"What do you mean?"

Severus pursed his lips. If she found out that he was, actually, not her husband, but in fact another Severus entirely, she wouldn't allow him to hold her this way, would she? No, certainly not. Lily, wild and fierce as she could so often be, was underneath it all a very good, and very moral girl. But how could one cheat on oneself? Certainly that didn't count?

As was so often the case with Lily, her worry soon gave way to irritation, and her fiery personality shone through as she suddenly burst out in frustration "Sev, I swear! If you don't own up, I'll make you take that damn truth potion yourself! What was up earlier? Why were you so sure I wasn't who I said I was? What's happened? Please tell me!"

Her concern was so sincere, and so raw, that before he knew what was happening, his long-guarded emotional walls began to drop all around him, and he found himself talking to her, telling her what he'd just figured out and then more. For so long he had survived on secrecy. To dissemble and only reveal half-truths had long ago become natural for him. But now, with Lily here before him, he felt the weight of those secrets more keenly than he had ever before. And faced with those dazzling emerald eyes which had continued to haunt him, he found himself helpless to guard them any longer.

And so, for a long while, he simply spoke, running one hand absentmindedly through her hair. He told her about himself, about his life. He told her how much he had missed her. How much he had always loved her…he found himself admitting it all.

It seemed hours had passed by the time he stopped talking, and they had found their way back into bed at some point, Lily wrapped around Severus, his arms tight around her back as they spoke quietly, intently. Lily felt her heart breaking almost constantly for this darker, sadder, lonelier version of the man she loved with all her heart. Despite how impossible it all seemed, she couldn't help but trust what he told her.

Though for the most part, she felt only sympathy and understanding for him and the life he had lived, she had a bad feeling about the way he had glossed over his relationship with Harry, when asked. She could almost feel, without being told so directly, that he was less than civil to the boy. She felt herself beginning to rile with anger at the thought of her long-time best friend treating her innocent son with irrational vitriol, but hesitated as she looked at him and saw the deep, penetrating pain and sorrow she was so unused to seeing in Severus' eyes.

And it began to occur to her just how much the man had truly suffered.

Though she didn't like it, nor did she have to condone or accept it, she could understand why, having suffered as much as this Severus obviously had, he would be bitter and less than happy to see a boy he likely felt both a sense of ownership over for being hers, and a fierce resentment for what he must represent to him. As she thought about it, she knew that, as sad as it was, having to see Harry would have only made Severus' pain worse. She could imagine Severus seeing the boy's glasses and dark mop of hair as a slap in the face, as if to say 'I'll never be yours. I'm James Potter's son, and only his.'

Lily had the feeling this more closed-off Sev would never have allowed himself to come to such a conclusion about Harry, but she knew him. Even having just met this particular version of him, she knew how Severus was. And really, it made sense, based on what she knew of him, that he would see Harry that way…as a reminder of what could have been, but could never be. Of what could have been, but wasn't.

Sev, with all his irrational self-hatred, probably saw himself in Harry, probably saw the embodiment of his mistakes, mixed with the face of his high school tormentor and the eyes of his love, in this one innocent boy. Considering that, was it any wonder if he treated the boy like rot?

No, it wasn't. But it still made her both furious and incredibly, incredibly sad to think that her two stubborn boys might be alone in the same universe, and yet never able to reach each other, due simply to something so petty. She wondered if she might be able to do something about it.

Her thoughts swirled as she leaned into his embrace. She could not help but care genuinely for this version of Sev. For that was what he was-her husband, if his life had not gone as he had hoped. This man was her husband, too, and she was his, just as she was her Sev's. This Sev had had the potential to be her husband, if things hadn't gone the way they had for him. The question was, was it too late for his life to turn around? Clearly, he still cared for her, but he could never be her husband. Not exactly, anyway.

And what about Harry? Was there any hope for a reconciliation with the boy in his world? She knew how much her husband adored their son. He would give absolutely anything for Harry's happiness. So this man, too, could have felt that way about the Harry he knew. But perhaps too much time had passed. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to get over his pain, to see Harry as a person rather than a symbol of his own pain and regret.

Could she help him change his perspective? She really hoped so. She vehemently hoped she could. With this silent pact made, she leaned forward and gave him a chaste, bittersweet kiss. She held it for several seconds before pulling back, hoping she had conveyed her intentions and care.

Despite the innocent nature of the kiss, Severus looked shocked. "But, Lily…" he started, hoarsely, "I'm…I told you. I'm not him…and after all I've done-"

She shook her head, smiling sadly, "I know that, Sev. I know you aren't him. You can only be who you are, but even so, I can't help but care for you. You will always be my beloved Severus. Only, you have lived another series of events which I will never have the chance to experience. Never doubt it, though, that I love you, Sev. Every possible version of you. Do you understand me? So don't run away. Stay with me until we figure out what has happened to land you here. You will, won't you? You don't mind being around me, do you?"

Severus could only stare at her in shock and awe. "Lily…I…" He swallowed thickly, and had to struggle to fight back an embarrassing stinging sensation in the backs of his eyes. "Of course, but...I'm, I'm tainted. I've done horrible things. I'm not a nice man, Lily. It sounds like the Severus Snape you know is…quite a different person. I just…you don't know me, really. You don't know what you're saying, Lily!"

But her gaze never wavered. She stared at him, clutching his forearms with her hands and said, very firmly, "Then let me get to know you. Let me understand you! I want to, Sev! I know you've been through utter hell, but why don't you let someone help you for a change? You shouldn't always have to be the savior! Let someone else save you for once." She smiled, and her eyes were almost pleading, and when he softened a fraction, she hugged him fiercely.

And when he next spoke again, he found, to his surprise, and horror, that he couldn't help but mention the last person he wanted to invade the privacy of his thoughts and this room at the second, but her green eyes were suddenly reminding him too much of him to stop himself. "A saving-people thing, Lily? I'm afraid that honor goes to your golden boy son, not to me."

"Well, then, something else you two have in common, Sev," she said smugly, and Severus frowned darkly.

Suddenly, she stretched and yawned. "Well, Sev, I don't know about you, but after such an emotional tug-of-war, I'm starving! Let's bathe and get some lunch, okay?"

Severus nodded weakly. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. Here he was, in this world where his fantasies were a reality, where he could touch, and hold, and talk to the woman who had haunted his dreams and fantasies practically all his nights since puberty.

He wasn't sure what would happen next in this fantastical, astonishing world, and yet he found himself strangely compelled to simply live and let happen, a philosophy very unlike his usual.

But he couldn't help but agree that may be the way to go as Lily smiled and waved to him before entering the bathroom, her green eyes sparkling and so very alive.

Yes, he could definitely get used to such a life…

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><p>o O o O o<p>

In his tenure as the dreaded Potions Master and Head of Slytherin, Severus had managed to accrue quite a reputation, and along with that, he was used to being given a certain degree of respect. That is, he was used to the masses cowering under his intimidating presence and nasty glares.

It seemed, however, that his counterpart had no such reputation.

As he walked through the school hallways, he was first greeted overly-cheerfully by Pomona Sprout. Well, that was not too surprising. She and Lily seemed to be on good terms, after all, and so Severus responded with a civil nod.

Speaking of which…Lily! Severus couldn't take his eyes off of her. A large part of himself was half-expecting her to vanish the instant he stopped watching, but every time she caught him staring at her so 'indefatigably' as she worded it, she would laugh and lightly brush his hand with hers. Simply the sound of her laughter, so pure and good and uplifting was enough to finish him. Severus had hardly ever felt so vulnerable as he did now, but he was vulnerable in a kind of dreamlike ecstasy. Just the thought that Lily was here beside him, that she had forgiven him for his horrible mistake that day in their fifth year…that somehow, if given the chance they would have worked-to Severus, it made all the difference. Life was different, better, with Lily in it.

Only having been beside her for several hours, and he found himself wondering how he had survived for so long without her.

But that was just it. He had survived. That is to say nothing of _living_.

So wrapped up in this torrent of unpracticed and rusty emotions, he found himself following Lily blindly as they headed for Albus' office.

It was then that he got another dose of something entirely too _ludicrous. _Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley were walking side by side down the hallway, and were not hexing each other. They were actually talking quite civilly and even…laughing.

Severus couldn't stop himself from stopping dead-still in the corridor and gaping at them before regaining his composure a moment later. He had managed to rip his gaze from them at Lily's soft call of "Sev?" when he heard the red-headed brat himself call out, in a tone which did not exude fear of certain death, "Hey Professor Snape! How's it going?"

Severus turned and gaped in a very uncharacteristic manner at the boy grinning winningly at him. Severus could not fathom how to respond to such an unexpected greeting, but then Draco stepped in, grinning even more widely, and, once again stunning Severus, slung an arm around Weasley and then, leaning in conspiratorially, whispered "Uncle Sev! Ron and I wanted to talk to you about Harry's surprise birthday party. Could we stop by in a bit?" Then, turning to Lily, he added, "Hi, Professor Evans-Snape!"

Severus couldn't manage anything more than a strangled noise before Lily grabbed his arm and tugged him none-too-lightly behind her, saying, "Boys? How about if we talk about this later, okay? Professor Snape and I are late for a meeting with the headmaster."

"Oh, okay," Draco consented reluctantly, pouting. "Fine. We're late to meet Ginny and Harry on the Pitch, anyway. See you later!"

"What's up, Sev?" Lily asked quietly as she pulled his attention away from the two energetic boys. "I suppose something about that interaction was not what you're used to?"

"You could say that," Severus muttered weakly, rubbing at his temples. "Suffice it to say Draco is less than friendly with the Gryffindors in…where I come from."

"To be fair, he isn't buddy-buddy with all of them, but being your Godson, he and Harry grew up together. They're practically as close as brothers, and so he makes an exception for Harry and his close friends," she explained quietly.

Severus shook his head, not thrilled with this new information. In all honesty, he could care less about adolescent friendships and power-struggles, particularly concerning Harry bloody Potter…but for Lily's sake, he knew he would have to swallow his feelings in that regard, and so he simply made an unenthusiastic grunt of understanding.

Lily watched him silently, lips pursed slightly as they reached the end of the hallway and called out the password (Cauldron Cakes) to Albus' office. This alternate Severus, though he was much sadder and angrier than her husband, had been so open when they were alone together, but the instant they stepped into public, he had seemed to shut down almost entirely. She realized, sadly, that being around him would perhaps be more complicated than she had thought. After all, it wasn't simply as if this were the Sev she knew just out of school. This man before her had his own life experiences, and who he was now was who he had had to become to survive. She was only now beginning to understand what that meant.

Just how high were the walls around Severus' heart? And could she break them down alone?

Severus let Lily do most of the talking when they got to Dumbledore's office, only adding details in occasionally when they were pertinent, and speaking mostly only when directly addressed. He sighed. He knew he was perhaps behaving much too like a sullen child to be unobjectionable, but he found it almost painful to sit here, talking to the old coot, when he could be spending each second wasted here in Lily's embrace.

To him, she was the only thing that mattered, and her presence in this universe was the only thing he had any interest in.

Severus nearly followed her when she got up to go to the loo in the middle of their meeting, but he caught himself. As it turned out, however, he ended up wishing he had accompanied her, for she had only just left when there was a knock on the door and Albus paled slightly.

"Hm. Not the best timing," he muttered, and then sent a pleading glance to Severus before calling "Come on in, dear boy!" to the door.

Albus' odd facial gestures took on whole new meaning when a short young man with blazing green eyes and a moppy mess of hair tumbled through the door.

Severus quickly schooled his shock into a scowl, but he could not hide his surprise when the boy caught his eye and absolutely beamed.

"Hey, Dad!" Harry called, racing over to stand beside him, either missing or ignoring the man's violent flinch. When Severus didn't respond, Harry looked over his shoulder to say, quickly, "Oh, sorry Professor Dumbledore. I shouldn't have just barged in like this, but Draco and Ron said my parents were talking to you and I needed to speak with them."

"It's quite alright, my boy. We actually have something important we need to discuss with you, Harry. But you arrived a little prematurely, I'm afraid. If you could, I need to speak a little further with you fa-er, Severus," he quickly amended at Severus' glare, "in private beforehand. Could you make your way to the adjoining room?" He indicated a set of mahogany double doors with a flamboyant wave of his arm.

"Oh, sure sir." Harry smiled softly before cocking his head at Severus in concern. "Um, dad? Are you okay? You look a little peaky."

Harry had seen his father angry on many occasions, but it shocked him how quickly he rose to ire at this innocuous comment. The man stood suddenly, looming over him and shooting him a glare that would have terrified most. Harry, however, was far too used to his father's expressions to cower before it. He simply frowned up at him, meeting his eyes defiantly. But what he saw in those familiar dark eyes made him freeze.

He had never seen his father look at him that way. Nowhere in the man's glare could he see a hint of amusement, affection or even disappointment. If he were honest with himself, the feeling the expression most gave him was…well, dislike. Maybe even stronger than that. It gave him the chills. He continued to stare into the man's gaze, waiting for him to break, but if anything, his expression just grew harder, and additional annoyance was layered onto it. Finally, Harry did break the gaze. He just couldn't stand to see his father look at him that way for another instant. It made him feel strangely vulnerable and unsure of himself, almost like an outsider in his own skin to have his own father look at him with…loathing.

"Severus!" Albus tried, but the man was shaking from suppressed emotion, his fists clenching painfully. He honestly was surprised by the violence of his own reaction, and by how difficult it was to stop himself lashing out at the boy. He knew that Lily had told him that in this world, he had apparently adopted the brat, but it was all in abstraction, and in the context of Lily's sweet presence, everything had seemed surreal and harmless. But now, suddenly faced with the brat himself, looking just as much a James Potter clone as ever, grinning cheekily and calling him 'Dad,' something within him just broke. He wasn't sure what he felt. His insides were squirming in an unfamiliar way and so he covered his confusion the way he felt most comfortable; with pure, black hate.

But even in the midst of this angry haze of confusion, Severus felt a slight twinge of guilt when the boy finally broke the insolent staring contest and hunched over despondently. Did the brat really care that much for his approval? But of course, he didn't really care for anything to do with _him_ at all. It was his counterpart who had a relationship with this boy.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm not sure what I-"

There it was again. That word. That damn word that made his insides squirm traitorously, despite his knowledge that it meant nothing in relation to him. He couldn't stand it. The boy couldn't be in his presence another instant.

"Don't. Call. Me. That." He bit out, his voice laced with loathing, before he could stop himself.

The boy flinched, and his gaze snapped up. The hurt and confusion were so raw in those eyes that Severus was suddenly, and painfully, reminded of another pair of green eyes. He needed the boy to leave. He could not risk his presence any longer. "Get out," he hissed. "Leave us to talk." And with that, he looked away. He could feel that the boy was still there, however, and knew that this strategy wasn't working. Of course, he could be truly cruel to the boy and he might leave him be, but he couldn't do that when he knew it would hurt Lily, and so he swallowed his pride and bit out a quick, "Look, I...cannot talk now. Please listen to the headmaster. There are…things you must understand, but you can't be in here right now. Just go."

"Oh. Okay, dad. I'll just be in the next room, then," Harry said softly, his eyes wide in worry. The hurt in his green eyes was still clear, but it wasn't as obvious as it was previously.

Severus continued to stare at his hands until the door shut behind the boy. He looked up reluctantly at the headmaster who was watching him intently, searchingly. The look of disapproval that had etched its way onto Albus' face during that more-than-awkward encounter had softened significantly, and he motioned for Severus to once again take a seat.

Severus broke his gaze. The look of consideration and partial approval was harder for him to deal with than harsh disapproval, honestly. For he knew he'd acted unfairly. The boy, little as he wanted to admit it, had done nothing to warrant the verbal attack and glares he had subjected him to. It was his mere presence, the simple concept of the boy that was troubling him. But he hadn't intended for them to have a confrontation like that before the boy was even told of his identity. It would have spared them both a good deal of grief. But now the blasted brat had to think he'd done something to make his father dislike him. _Great_. _Pile another one on my list of sins._

But why did he even care? He didn't care about the brat. Sure, he'd vowed to protect him, but he had never actually come close to liking him. He had always taken pleasure at offending or verbally abusing the boy-who-lived. So why did he feel like such a bastard for treating this boy as he had? After all, the way he'd spoken to him was nowhere near the standard of venom with which he normally treated the brat's counterpart.

But he already knew the answer to that question. Once again, Lily. In his world, it was easy enough to forget Potter had anything to do with Lily, but here, it was painfully obvious. And furthermore, though he wouldn't admit it to himself, there was something about the way he'd called him that word, 'Dad,' meaningless as it was, and the way he'd looked at him with affection in those green eyes, that had chipped at something in him.

It was also the first time, if he were to admit it, that he had really been unguarded enough around the boy to see the striking similarities in how expressive his green eyes were as compared to his mother's. The way he had looked at him, upon first entering the room, had mirrored almost exactly the way Lily had been looking at him most of the morning. The fact that his practiced cold callousness had stripped that open expression from the boy, leaving his green eyes more dulled than before, struck him. He had never had that kind of power around Harry Potter, and yet this boy seemed so fragile in comparison, as if the slightest cruel word from him could snap him like a twig.

"Sorry for keeping you two," Lily's voice rang out, closing the door behind her. With her entrance, the temperature in the room seemed to increase by leaps and bounds. She seemed to notice this, despite Severus' feeble attempts at a smile, and she frowned. "Did something happen here?"

"I'm afraid, Lily," Albus started, "That young Harry is in dire need of some thorough explanations." He looked at Severus pointedly, and Lily gasped, her hand moving to cover her mouth.

"Oh Sev, you didn't! What…what happened?"

"Before you jump to conclusions, Lily, Severus did not say anything he should regret."

"Don't sugarcoat it, Albus. I was a right bastard to the boy. This is just…this is not going to work," he sighed, trailing off.

"Sev," Lily tried, kneeling down and taking his hands, cupping her palm on his cheek to move his gaze to meet hers, "Stop giving yourself such a hard time. I know that asking you to form a relationship with Harry is a lot to ask. Maybe it's too much to ask, but we can't know that yet...and anyway, I know it will take time. All I ask is that you try for me. We're going home in a few days and it'll be just the three of us the whole summer. You need to make an effort to get along with him. I'll talk to him and make sure he gives you some space, but I can't force you two. I need your cooperation, Severus."

Many thoughts ran through his head as he swallowed this new information. Of course. Summer. That was one issue he had not anticipated. To spend a summer with Lily at _home _was the stuff of dreams…but of course, they wouldn't be alone. And he couldn't kid himself that there would be any way to avoid Potter if they were staying at Spinner's End together. It just wasn't big enough. And he couldn't ask Lily to send the boy away. That would be selfish beyond words! _Of course, the brat has gotten to spend every damn summer of his coddled life with her!_ Even as he thought it, jealously, a traitorous voice in the back of his head reminded him that the Potter he knew couldn't remember a thing about his own mother…

For the first time, Severus felt a twinge of pity for the boy. Not the boy here, but Potter in his world. To have Lily as a mother but to have no memory of her just seemed incredibly unfair.

Damn it, I knew it! Lily's turning me soft already…

Then he smiled wryly. _I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that this world's Severus Snape isn't quite so intimidating. Living with Lily for so long is enough to melt anyone._

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! I'm not sure how I dealt with the whole Lily-Sev interaction but...anyway, I hope to hear from you! Thanks~<p>

Next Chapter: Back in the Canon world, Severus talk to Harry and confronts Albus about the Dursleys! Look forward to it!

tess4aria


	3. What Fate Hands You

_**Chapter 2: What Fate Hands You**_

**_Canon World_**

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><p>AN: I decided to change this story's name. Hope that doesn't confuse too many people!

Also, thank you all, once again, for your wonderful reviews! You guys are the greatest! I hope you enjoy this one as well~ Back to the Canon world to check on AU Sev!

I do not own Harry Potter.

**_Please R&R~! Thanks!_**

* * *

><p>o O o O o<p>

"Ah, Severus. Very good, my boy. Please take a seat," Albus said as Severus pushed through into his office once again.

"Albus, please tell me you have some idea what's going on here," Severus said tiredly as he slumped down before the headmaster's desk. Dumbledore was watching him intently and curiously, his piercing eyes seeming to dissect him more than usual. Almost on reflex, Severus raised his occlumency shields, but save for an extra twinkle in the headmaster's eyes, he continued to regard Severus as if he were some science experiment. Unsettled and becoming more impatient by the second, Severus growled "Well?"

"Yes, well Severus, I'm afraid this is going to be difficult for you to take in, but for the sake of all involved, I would appreciate if you would give this old man the benefit of the doubt and hold your judgment until I have had my say. If you would be so good?"

Severus sighed and put his face in his hands, nodding mutely. He then muttered, "That's fine, Albus. Just please…tell me I'm not going insane. What Harry said earlier…about Lily. He seemed to truly believe what he said. But…either he's going crazy or I am, because I know what I've experienced these past 15 years to be reality. So enlighten me…though," he added, a dark smile on his lips, "If you're simply going to tell me I'm suffering under the delusions of a memory charm, just have done with it and finish me here."

Dumbledore frowned. "Why, Severus. You can't mean that. I know you're too loyal and self-sacrificing to take such a cowardly way out."

Severus shook his head and offered a wry smile. "I wish I could tell you you're deceiving yourself, but unfortunately, I've been living with Gryffindors and martyrs for too damn long." Looking up and meeting Albus' piercing blue eyes, he ground his teeth and said, once again, "Well?"

Albus took a deep breath and clasped his hands before him, looking at Severus intently. "I have a test I need to perform to be sure, but if I am right, I can tell you things are both less and more vexing than you have suggested, Severus."

"I'm not in the mood for riddles, Albus."

"I'm sure. And surprisingly, a certain Riddle we are all-too familiar with is unlikely to be responsible in this case for our pains."

Severus glared at Albus in disbelief, and the old wizard sobered instantly, looking apologetic and sheepish.

"Quite right, dear boy. This is not the time for puns." He sighed and his face grew serious. "If I am correct, there is a clear explanation that would allow for both the events you remember and those that I do to be equally true. That you are here, amidst people who react to you differently than you would expect them to is evidence supporting my hypothesis. Though I am not entirely sure what has caused this to happen, it isn't the first time something similar has been recorded. Do you see what I am getting at, Severus?"

Slowly, Severus nodded, and he clenched his fists as he breathed out, "Dimension crossing. Is that what you're saying, Albus?"

"Precisely, Severus. In your world, you married Lily Evans, am I right? And…based on what I saw in this event-catcher my room has so handily supplied me with, you and Harry have quite a close relationship."

At Severus' impatient nod, Albus smiled sadly. "I'm sorry to say none of that happened here, my boy. But if you would be so good, this is what I excused myself earlier to get a hold of."

Albus lifted a vial of shimmering blue-purple liquid. After gazing at it intently for a while, Severus nodded, saying, "I see. With this you can examine my magical signature in detail, can you not?"

"Precisely. If you will go ahead, it would make things easier if we get this out of the way by the time Remus can convince our young Harry to set foot back in this room. It seems he was quite…riled when he left."

Severus didn't respond. The look of fear, confusion and hatred he had seen in Harry's eyes kept swimming before him, blocking his thoughts from arranging themselves coherently. He had to do something to make amends with the boy he now realized, with a jolt, must have no memory of being his son. With that disturbing thought, he reached out a hand and downed the solution in one.

Albus watched as Severus' body shone a pearlescent smoky blue, almost as if he were a ghost. With a wave of his wand, Albus drew the blue wisps from Severus' body and a ghost-like image of him was ripped from his solid body. Albus examined both the wispy gaseous Snape and Snape's body for a while, and as he did, his expression turned increasingly focused and grave. Lips pursed, he gently attempted to realign the magical impression with Severus' body, but the wispy formation rebelled, keeping away from him like a like pole of a magnet. With a nod of grim satisfaction, Albus waved his wand again, forcing the wisps back inside Severus with a flurry. The instant he was whole again, Severus opened his eyes and gasped, slumping in his chair.

Albus gently passed a cup of tea to Severus, laced with sugar and a strengthening draught and waited until the man seemed to have gained his bearings before he spoke.

"Well, Severus, we seem to have been correct. Your inner essence, and magical signature was repelled from this, your solid body. After examining both your solid presence and your inner magic, it is quite clear, my dear boy, that they are inherently different. Your magical signature has, at its core, traces of a kind of magic that exists nowhere in this world. Almost as if composed of different strains of DNA, your body and soul, shall I put it, do not currently match."

Severus took this disturbing information in stride, and simply nodded, saying, "And what effect will this have on my body? I presume the two can not coexist for an extended period of time?" He kept his voice calm and indifferent, but he could tell Albus wasn't fooled.

"You presume correctly. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge souls can only travel between realms at very certain instances and in very certain locations. The good thing is, these wormholes, shall we say, usually happen in pairs. What brought you here will eventually reappear to take you back. I just hope, however, that your body doesn't show too many signs of rejecting your essence before that happens."

"Though you don't bet on it," Severus finished what Albus had left unsaid. The headmaster gave a single nod.

"I see…so basically, I'm stuck here with my soul like a foreign contaminant in this body which will continue to reject it until, hopefully, a shift in the fabric of the universe arrives to take me home? How thrilling. What side effects am I to expect, Albus? And any idea when we might expect this second instability?"

Smiling sadly at the forced calm of Severus' voice, Albus said, "From what I know from past accounts of similar events, we can expect another to open within a year. It is possible that six months from the initial disturbance we might be able to send you back, but, from what I know about these sorts of phenomena, to be able to return, you will need to recover from your current magical exhaustion. Otherwise, you will be unlikely to survive the switch."

"And this is different from the signs I will feel later when my body begins to reject me, I presume?"

"Once again, you are correct. At this point, dear boy, rather than the effects of your body rejecting you will not feel more than a general tiredness due to the simple trauma of having your soul ripped from your world and instilled here. You see, currently, your body is using far too much energy to recover you from your recent crossing. Much like one's tendency to get sick only once the stress of exams are over, your body will only begin to register that something is wrong once you have sufficiently recovered. I wouldn't expect you to notice much of anything, however, for a good many months."

"I see…so if by the six-month mark I haven't begun to suffer these effects, suggesting my magic has sufficiently recovered, I won't be able to return at the half-year?"

"That is what I believe. What you will be experiencing, in truth, is your soul attempting to slip away from your body and back into its home world. If not by that point, you should certainly be able to return a year to the day you came here in the first place."

"Fabulous. Any more lovely news, headmaster?" He sneered.

Albus looked at him directly once again. "Well, the only other issue is that this will only work if both you and your counterpart are ready to return. You must both be positioned as you were when you arrived here, and both of your souls must be attempting to return. It is…certainly nothing to take lightly. I do not envy you, Severus, but I will not pity you, for I know how you would receive such gestures."

Despite himself, Severus half-smiled at this before pressing his palms to his eyes, attempting to let this all sink in.

He couldn't believe it. As things stood, it would be a miracle if he were able to make it home at all. What most concerned him, though, wasn't the prospect of some strange magical illness or how to survive in this other world for a time, but just how he could expect his counterpart to cooperate. For Severus only trusted his capacity to be self-sacrificing to a point. And he also understood what (or rather, who) his greatest weakness, as well as his greatest strength, had always been. Could he trust that his counterpart would desire to return here after having to survive alone for so long?

For Severus' sake, he hoped his counterpart was stronger than he was.

As Severus continued to sit quietly, lost in his thoughts, Albus briefed him vaguely on his plans for research on cross-dimensional travel before quietly clearing his throat to call Severus' attention more fully.

"Severus, I am sorry to do this to you now after such revelations, but I feel it best we push on to dealing with the reality you now find yourself in rather than looking only to escaping it."

Well, that did succeed in distracting him as he understood what his old friend meant. "Harry…" he breathed.

"Yes. I know it must be difficult, Severus, but though he is, essentially, the same, this Harry is not your son," Albus said, softly, smiling sadly. "Our Harry has been raised by his aunt and uncle ever since James and Lily Potter died when he was 2 years old."

Hearing Albus say it so definitely made the reality of the situation really hit Severus. To think that here, his Harry saw him as a stranger was just…so wrong. He felt numb, as if a big part of himself had simply fallen away. And with a cold, chilling finality, the other cold truth of this world hit him again as the strange emptiness of his living chambers fell into place in his mind.

Barely above a whisper, he said, "And Lily…she's truly…dead."

"I'm afraid so, Severus," Dumbledore sighed, and suddenly, he really did look his age.

Severus was quiet for a time, and simply sat with his face buried in his hands. Finally gathering his bearings somewhat, he swallowed and looked up to meet Albus' piercing gaze. He felt in his heart that he knew the answer to this next question already, but he felt it necessary to ask anyway. "Albus. The way Harry-the way he looked at me…am I to assume we aren't, well, close in this timeline?"

"I'm afraid not, Severus. You, that is, your counterpart has never been fond of Harry. But before you fret too much, rest assured the sentiments are quite mutual."

Severus only nodded once, numbly, before rubbing his temples with the palms of his hands. "This nightmare needs to be over," he said softly.

"Yes, well, from what I've seen of you so far, Severus, I believe you can turn this situation to your advantage. Forgive me for suggesting any added burdens, but I feel you could do much to help in this world. As far as getting you home, I assure you I will do my utmost to make the process as smooth as possible."

Severus just gave a weak nod and Albus continued, smiling slightly. "I hope you don't mind, but I had already informed Remus of my suspicions about where you had come from when I sent him to locate you, and I instructed him to fill Harry in with the most pertinent information. Hopefully, he will bring him back here not long from now. And now, once again, I must ask something of you. I'm afraid, that due to the nature of your counterpart's relationship with Harry, the bond of trust between you two is not at its strongest. It is for this reason I would like to employ the use of Veritaserum when Harry returns."

Severus scowled. "I think I can talk to my son without that, thanks," but he knew there was sense in the old wizard's words. This wasn't his Harry, no matter how he looked like him. But that didn't mean he wasn't, deep down, the same basic person with the same potential to become the boy he loved more than life itself. If a confession via veritaserum helped Harry to believe him, then so be it.

Severus nodded, and at that moment, Harry and Remus entered, the younger determinedly avoiding his gaze. Severus felt a deep pang in his chest as he watched him sit down on the opposite side of the room, back hunched and hands bunched in fists.

"Harry," Albus said cheerfully, "Thank you for joining us. I'm sure Remus has filled you in with our suspicions? That the Severus Snape we know and the one standing before us are not one and the same? That this Severus is from a world with an entirely different set of events?"

Harry nodded, but said nothing.

"And did Remus explain why this is relevant to you?"

Harry's face looked pained, as if he were being forced to admit to something absolutely vile, but he managed a stiff nod.

"Very good. I must first inform you that after further examination, I have determined our suspicions were correct. Severus is, indeed, from another dimension."

At this revelation, Remus looked up, only faint surprise in his eyes, and Harry gaped at the headmaster. For an instant, he met Severus' eyes, but the boy quickly flinched and looked away as if he'd been burned.

Choosing to ignore the tension in the room, Albus continued steadily, "Furthermore, Severus has accepted my condition that he be under Veritaserum while we question him…therefore, there will be no reason for you to doubt his words."

Harry looked momentarily shocked, and let his gaze, momentarily unguarded, once again brush by Severus', but he again quickly returned to staring at his hands. "Okay," he said softly.

"Very good," Albus nodded, satisfied. "Severus? Are you ready?"

"If I must," he replied, and watched, with the others, as Albus took three drops of a clear liquid and dropped them into a cup of tea. Smelling it to ensure its identity and the lack of any foreign contaminants, Severus downed the tea.

After a few seconds, his eyes glazed over and his expression adopted a dull, passionless expression.

Suddenly business-like, Albus stood up and smiled at Severus. "What is your full name?"

"Severus Tobias Snape."

"And your place of residence?"

"Hogwarts, Potions Master's Quarter. On holidays, London, Spinner's End."

"Are you loyal to Lord Voldemort?"

"No."

"Do you spy on the Dark side for the Order of the Phoenix?"

"No."

Harry, Remus and Albus exchanged a surprised glance.

"Are you a member of the order of the phoenix?"

"Yes."

"I see…but you are not a spy for the light?

"No."

"May I ask why not?"

"It would be too dangerous for my family."

Harry's heart was thumping. What Remus had told him that Dumbledore suspected, it was insane! But the look in Snape's eyes, earlier, just kept haunting him…and hadn't the man even called him his…Harry shuddered, unable to even think the word in relation to that man.

"And what of your family? Who do you live with?" The headmaster continued.

"My wife, Lily Evans Snape, and my son, Harry James Snape," Severus answered tonelessly.

Harry felt as if his lungs were being constricted and trapped in a vacuum. But his world really crashed down when Dumbledore said softly but distinctly, "Where is your son, Severus?" and the man turned, without hesitation, and pointed to Harry, saying clearly, "Right there. He is my son."

"I see…and what, if you may, happened on October 31st, 1981, in your timeline?"

"Lord Voldemort came to the Potters' house and murdered James Potter. I, however, made it in time to apparate away with Lily and Harry. As my loyalties were clearly revealed at that point, Lily, Harry and I were all placed under the protection of Albus Dumbledore. Lily and I took positions as professors at Hogwarts, but after a time, she and I decided to wed, and the three of us moved to my old house at Spinner's End, which was placed under the Fidelius Charm, with Albus as secret keeper."

Harry was shaking to hold in his bursting emotions, but couldn't resist saying something. It was all too ridiculous. "You're lying! My mother would never have married you! You're too…too…" but then he trailed off, not only because he knew the potions master was speaking under the influence of veritaserum, but because he realized he really didn't know much about Severus Snape. Particularly this Snape from another world who, oddly enough, didn't seem to loathe him. Or, for that matter, did he know all that much about his mum. Voldemort had seen to that. He didn't expect an answer, but then, in the same hollow, emotionless tones as before, Snape said,

"I could not, at first, believe she would marry someone like me, but Lily Evans is a rare sort of person, who can see through to the good in someone, no matter how deeply hidden. I have always loved her, and will continue to do so. She and I have been married for thirteen years."

Harry was speechless. And welling up unbidden in his chest was an odd mixture of gratitude and anger at finally hearing something so personal about his mother's personality. But why was it that SNAPE knew his mother better than he did? It was too unfair. And it was beyond creepy to hear such passionate words about love and devotion, not only from the cold, cruel Potions Master, but in the emotionless, deadened tone supplied by the veritaserum. It was too much.

The serum was wearing off by this point, and Harry determinedly avoided Snape's gaze. Even without looking, however, he could feel the man's eyes on him, and finally risking a glance, he saw Snape watching him with a strange sort of longing. Instantly, Harry panicked, and without another word or a glance back, he fled from the room.

"Harry!" Severus tried to get up, but his body was still moderately unresponsive from the potion, and Remus helped steady him back into his chair.

"What am I going to do?" He whispered, his head in his hands, and those in the room knew he was talking about much more than simply what to do about Harry. "I won't be able to return to my world for months, Albus, possible a year. Lily and Harry, they must be panicking, they-"

Albus sighed. "I'm sure they are figuring things out as we are, Severus. After all, as we've already discussed, I am certain your counterpart is now with Lily in your world. I do hope she has better luck handling him than I have," he added, wryly.

"I'm sure he'll be perfectly good to Lily," Remus said softly. "It's Harry I fear for. If he is expecting his father, and finds…him…instead-" Remus trailed off, and Severus looked up at him, worry etched into his face.

"He's that bad? My counterpart, I mean?"

"Oh, no, Severus, I didn't mean that, he's just-"

"Our Severus, dear boy, is a remarkably brave and good person in many respects. But…he has suffered. He never got to experience the life of love you seem to have had."

"From the way Harry spoke about him, or spoke to me…he must truly see me as a monster," Severus said quietly, voice thick with regret.

"I wouldn't go that far, Severus. Harry has just been through a rather miserable experience, and he is not yet over it. I'm afraid he is harboring feelings of resentment for your counterpart that are making things more difficult for him to endure."

Severus' expression instantly turned to that of open concern. "What happened to him? What kind of miserable experience?"

"Sirius," Remus began, "died, Severus. Just last week. At the Department of Mysteries. I'm afraid Harry blames himself, though he won't admit it to anyone. You see, he was led there by a trick of Voldemort's, and Sirius went after him…even though your counterpart warned us, he apparently acted uninterested when Harry mentioned Sirius might be in trouble, and Harry seems to be splitting the blame between himself and you," Remus explained, somewhat apologetically.

Severus nodded. As he thought over Remus' words, feelings both of sadness and of hope danced in his chest. For Harry to blame himself for something like this was very much like his own son, like the Harry he knew, and it made him feel a natural sympathy for this boy.

It hurt him to see the way this Harry looked at him, but he had a sick feeling that he understood all too well why. After all, he knew that he had the potential to become a vindictive person. His father had been utterly cold, cruel and abusive, and he himself had quite a temper. If it hadn't been for Lily caring for and feeding love to his injured soul all these years, he imagined he might have become quite an embittered, hard man. So that was the damage he had to deal with.

_No wonder Harry hates me. _

Severus knew that perhaps this wasn't his Harry, but he couldn't help but care about him. It hurt him, physically, to see his boy in pain, and this boy was no different.

Suddenly, he pushed up and headed for the door, but Remus caught his arm. "Severus, where are you-?"

"I need to talk to Harry."

"Don't you think you should give him some time alone, Severus?" He asked gently. "After all, this is a lot to take in. It won't be so easy for him to accept and when he's angry, he isn't at his most rational, you know…"

Severus deflated slightly. "Yes…yes, I know." He sighed. "It's mind boggling, knowing that here is a boy, just like my son, who I don't have that bond of trust with. It's…difficult, and frustrating. But it is as you say. He won't talk to me right now…But I don't think he should be alone out there. Will you speak with him, Remus?"

"Yes, Severus," he smiled. Then he faltered, and asked, softly, almost shyly, "So, what's our story? We're…friends, I take it?"

Severus gave him a long look, and then sighed. "I suppose that, too, is different here?"

At Remus' nod, he gave a dark chuckle. "Seems my counterpart is quite the loner."

Remus gave him a wry smile. "He is at that. Well, it's nice to meet you, Severus," and with that, he held out his hand, and Severus took it in a firm shake. With a slight half-smile, Remus grabbed the Marauder's Map, and left the office.

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><p>There's Chapter 3! Didn't get around to the Dursley talk, or a heart-to-heart, but I hope this answers some questions as to what's in store for poor Sev!<p>

Or, our poor Sevs!

Don't forget to drop a review! Thanks so much!

Next Time: **_Canon World_:** Dursley talk, Sev heart-to-hearts with Harry. _**Parallel World:**_ Lily's POV, Sev finds some eye-opening items in his chamber.

Till next time!

tess4aria


	4. Parallel: What Love Lends You

_**Parallel Chapter 2: What Love Lends You**_

_**Parallel World**_

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><p><strong>Edited slightly 1126/11**

Thanks, once again, for your lovely reviews! As always, I really appreciate your feedback. You inspire me to write more (and faster)! And many of you have given me really great advice. Please let me know how I'm doing!

Harry Potter belongs to J.K.

_**Please R&R~! Thanks so much!**_

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><p>o O o O o<p>

Lily watched Severus leave the headmaster's office, her chest full of conflicted feelings. When he had materialized before her, looking so broken and yet still with such a heartbreaking vestige of hope in his eyes as he looked at her, almost as if he were still that awkward boy of 7 who had informed her, in a jumble of nerves and excitement, that she was a witch, she had completely melted to him. All thoughts had left her mind but to give this familiar stranger what he so deserved, and had missed out on in his disappointing life.

But now, as he left the room and Albus calmly explained what had passed between Sev and Harry moments earlier in more detail, the undeniable and terrifying truth hit her. This man, who looked like her husband, who at his core was the same man she had fallen in love with, was nevertheless not. Her husband, it now fell on her like a gavel, had been swept away to a strange world where she had died years earlier. He was there, alone, with a Harry who, if her suspicions were right, detested him.

Unbidden, guilt surged up in her chest, and concern in torrents made her weak in the knees. Her Sev, her beloved Sev, who had given her the best years of her lives, was no longer here. And in his place was only this dark, mysterious doppelganger she nevertheless could not help but care for.

She longed to help this man, she felt a pull to embrace him, to comfort him. And yet at the same time, she felt a surge of self-revulsion and disloyalty to the Sev she had known all these years for how right it had felt to hold this Sev from another world as if he, too, were hers.

Hopelessly confused, she felt disloyal, ironically, both at the thought of accepting this man and of rejecting him. For after all, he was, if things had only turned out differently, her husband. How could she hold it against him or deny him what he had so long desired simply because he had been unfortunate enough to suffer the slings and arrows his world had cast him?

No, she would not…could not…treat this man as a stranger. She wanted this man, but at the same time, she wanted her husband back desperately. She missed the father of her child, the calm, rational man who had been the grounding presence in her life for so long.

But was there anything wrong, truly, with loving and missing her husband and yet desiring to help this other man? To heal the wounds on his scarred and guarded heart?

Lost in her thoughts, hands clasped together tightly, Lily looked up to see Albus' eyes watching her expectantly. She realized the headmaster had been speaking to her for the past few minutes, but she couldn't for the life of her recall what he had been saying.

"Oh…sorry, Albus. I was somewhere else…"

"It's perfectly alright, my dear," the old wizard said kindly. "I would be more surprised if you weren't consumed with concerns over our current predicament."

"Yes…" Lifting her suddenly tear-brightened green eyes to meet Albus' piercing blue, she said, "Albus, I don't know what to do! I don't want to hurt this Severus any more than he already has been, but we have to do something to get our Sev back! Please, you must have some ideas!"

Albus regarded her calmly for a minute before sighing deeply and saying, "I have some ideas, yes. But first of all, rest assured that I am quite certain that you need not fear too intensely for our Severus, my dear…anymore than we should fear for the man we have with us, at any rate," he added cryptically.

"What…do you mean?" Lily asked softly.

"Though I do not, by any means, pretend to be an expert in this area, Lily, I do have some general knowledge. In recent years, you see, Nicolas Flamel has taken a vested interest in it, and has been good enough to share some of his findings with me. From what I have seen of our Universe traveler, I am certain that his case is not unlike other cases Nicolas and I have discussed."

"Which means…?"

Albus smiled gently. "It is a law of Parallel Universe crossings, Lily. For this Severus to arrive here unharmed, our own Severus must therefore have arrived at his destination in the same condition."

"You're positive of this, Albus?" She asked quickly, her heart fluttering with hesitant relief.

"Almost entirely. You see, an unbreakable bond has been formed between the two counterparts, forged by the fact that each is a soul residing in the other's physical body. The link is further strengthened by the fact that one's soul can never fully detach from one's physical self, and so a small bit, a soul-imprint, shall I say, of the original Severus remains in his body. As I have no doubt you can guess, for two souls to reside in a single shell is a thing of great significance, and the two men have now been irreparably tied to each other. For this reason among others, any significant state changes will be shared between the two in an echo of sorts."

"So for instance, if one Sev is sick, the other will be too?"

"Yes, though it will be less obvious-more of a shadow of the illness. In any case, rest assured that you can be sure that, physically, Severus is as fine as can be at the moment."

Lily finally did allow herself a sigh of relief. Though Albus' words that they only knew of Sev's '_physical' _well-being didn't entirely comfort her. She nervously bit her lip.

"How can we reverse this, Albus? How can we get him back?"

"I will arrange to meet with Nicolas this evening, Lily, and with his help, I am certain we will come up with a solution in no time. Rest assured I will not fail you in this."

"Thank you, Albus," she said sincerely. "But what should I do about…" she trailed off.

"Ah yes." Albus smiled faintly at her. "Severus is likely to show signs of suffering under the strain of his rather unconventional travel soon enough and Lily, he will need you. It is understandable that you may feel conflicted on this point, but if Severus is ever going to be able to return, it is necessary that he recovers mentally as well as physically. One concern that is not to be taken lightly, however, is that if he is to become too attached to this world…well, the consequences are hard to predict."

"So you need me to stay distant from him?" Lily asked softly, a pang in her heart.

Albus smiled softly and said, "That, my dear child, I do believe to be neither possible, nor entirely advisable. You see, while I do confess to possessing rather keen powers of observation, if I do say so myself, I believe it would be clear to almost anyone just how this Severus looks at you."

Lily blushed a little. She knew what Albus meant, and it made her feel inexplicably 19 again. Unlike the long-fostered mutual love and understanding she had with her husband, this Sev seemed to look on her as if she were a miracle sent from above. It gave her a selfish little nervous thrill despite herself, and despite her attempts to ignore the feeling, she couldn't help the smile that pulled at her mouth at the thought.

"To treat this man indifferently would lead to more harm than good, I believe, Lily. I think what is most necessary is for you to foster a real relationship with him, so he can see you as a person, separate from his ideals and 15-year-long fantasies. We need him to be level-headed and think about things rationally. I fear that is not possible at this point. Likewise, pushing him away, making him only wonder at what might have been would only be impetus for him to stay in this place he considers the work of dreams, pining for what might still be…do you understand, Lily?"

Her heart was tight with the weighty burden of this situation, but Lily also felt a lightness in her heart at having a firmer grasp of the situation, and some concept of where to begin dealing with it. It also both thrilled and scared her that it seemed to be in the interest of all involved for her to get to know this alternate Sev. She wasn't sure how she would have dealt with trying to push him away.

But then her heart froze as another important question occurred to her. "Albus…how long? How long will he be here?"

Albus considered her for a long moment before responding, quietly, "I need to speak with Nicolas to be sure, Lily, but I expect we will not be able to perform the switch for at least 6 months. In all likelihood, however, it may take as long as a year for conditions to be favorable. This is, as you can imagine, another reason it would be unreasonable to expect you to keep your distance from our traveler while he is here," he added solemnly.

Lily felt her heart breaking all over itself. A year. She wouldn't be able to talk to or see her husband for an entire year. She was worried for him, forced to live in that hostile world for so long, but then again, she believed in him so entirely. If anyone was resilient enough to able to deal with such a situation, it was her Sev.

She promised herself in that moment that she would not allow herself to forget that he and this man who had taken his place were not one in the same, regardless of their similarities. She would respect her husband and keep him close in her thoughts all the time, but at the same time, she would not abandon that other world's Severus Snape. She would get to know him for himself, and hopefully, they could help each other when all was said and done. Not to say it would be entirely easy. The year ahead was bound to be very difficult.

And then, another large complication occurred to her. She looked nervously toward the room adjacent to Albus' office, concern for her son enveloping her, but when she met Albus' gaze, her old friend smiled.

"Try not to worry, my dear. He is a strong young man, and I am sure he will accept the situation admirably."

She smiled briefly, pride flooding her heart. "Yes, I'm sure he will."

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><p>o O o O o<p>

Feeling unusually drained, Severus went back to his (and Lily's) chambers to wait while Lily and Albus continued their conversation. He was normally not one to appreciate others speaking about him, particularly with himself not in attendance, but as he was sure much of the focus of their conversation would revolve around the short confrontation he'd had with the boy, he felt he couldn't stand to be in that large, eclectic office a minute longer.

He scoffed at himself. Why was it that Harry _bloody_ Potter managed to get to him more effectively than perhaps anyone else he had ever met, regardless of the universe he was in? _Except, perhaps, for Lily,_ a voice in the back of his head whispered, but he roughly pushed that notion aside. This was entirely different!

Sighing in relief to be back in the privacy of his chambers, he let his eyes wander around passively before stopping in surprise as he took in, for the first time, just how different these chambers looked from his back in his own world.

Everywhere, there were signs of Lily. While essentially the furniture was just as he remembered it, unfamiliar but obviously well-loved throws and pillows were plopped Pell knell on the couch and armchairs, giving the room a distinct burst of extra color. The bookcases were fuller, and he noticed with a slight smile that some of the muggle classics Lily and he used to treasure as children had been given spots of honor.

He traced his long-fingered hands over a sizable Charms collection that he knew was not part of his original selection before moving along. His finger stopped on the spine of a battered-looking textbook. Eyes wide, he took it out and recognized it immediately as his sixth-year copy of Advanced Potion-making. Opening it up in a mix of nostalgia and morbid curiosity, he read the expected inscription, 'This _book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince." _But beside it, in a familiar messy scrawl, was a little missive he had never seen before.

_Dad, _it read. Severus almost slammed the book shut but curiosity won over and he bit his lip and read on, jaw set in place.

_I found this while I was cleaning out the storeroom and wanted to return it to you. I figure it deserves a much better home than that dusty old cupboard! Anyway, I read through the edits and knew they were yours immediately. No one else could have made such a mockery of the 'standards.' Ridiculous that such inadequate instructions were published and even worse that the ministry considers the sad messes those instructions lead to valid! Well, no surprise there. We're quite aware the ministry's full of gits. - __oops! Sorry for the language, Dad!_

_And to think you were only a year older than I am now when you figured out all of this. Bloody brilliant! Oh, and I know you hate it when I get all gushy but I can't help it. It's really no surprise you're considered the greatest Potions Master to date, though I've heard tell mum would give you a run for your money if she didn't spread her focus to Charms as well. _

_One suggestion, though. When you suggested an extra round of counter-clockwise turns after adding in the Mandrake root for the Draught of Living Death, wouldn't it help to speed up the reaction if you were to add a pinch of runespoor venom after seventh turn? If you follow it with seven clockwise turns it should neutralize the reactivity of the venom to avoid any Neville-like explosions. What do you think?_

_When you get around to it, I want to hear more about how you used some of the spells in here to get back at Sirius and James! I recognized some of the incantations, but a story accompanying each would be greatly appreciated! I still can't believe the Marauders stole spells you invented, the prats!_

_Ah well, I've certainly made Sirius plead guilty enough for a lifetime, though I doubt you'd agree!_

_Enjoy your angsty high-school memories, Dad._

_Love,_

_Harry _

Severus stared at the note, uncomprehending, for a time before reading it again. He had convinced himself on the way back from Albus' office that while he would attempt to be slightly more civil to the brat, he would be best off completely ignoring any apparent relationship his counterpart had formed with him.

Even after their earlier confrontation in Albus' office, the whole thing had seemed like a surreal abstraction now that the boy was no longer in the room with him. But now, here, he had wandered upon something which undeniably proved the relationship between them…well, between Harry and the other Severus Snape.

What scared Severus the most was that he actually found a slight smile tugging on his lips by the end of the little missive. The boy was acutually somewhat witty, and his reasoning for the Draught of Living Death was, admittedly, spot-on. And to hear him refer to Black and Potter as prats! That gave the boy points in his book. Severus shook his head roughly and carefully secured the book back in the bookcase. It was too easy to forget, when reading the slightly snarky note that it was still Harry Potter who had written it. He couldn't let himself forget that they were one and the same.

Sighing deeply, he pressed his palms against his eyes. When he looked up again, he glanced over at the mantelpiece and found himself indelibly drawn to it, curious despite himself. Lining it were pictures, wizard and muggle both. The muggle pictures he recognized, mostly. There was one of himself and Lily as smiling 11-year-olds, both excited to head off on the Hogwarts express, and another picture of them, perhaps at 8 years old, Lily standing over him laughing as he nervously held a butterfly in his open palms.

He felt his throat constrict. He remembered those events. They had happened in his world as well, but to see them captured this way nudged him inadvertently in an uncomfortable direction. They showed him, without a doubt, that he had once been as innocent and hopeful and nervous as any other child. When, exactly, had he hardened so completely to the world? It was a gradual process, he knew. And it had been necessary for him to survive to this point. Hadn't it? Again, a wave of jealously and regret that he had had to live in a world away from Lily, and hence so irreverently cut-off from his long ago innocence, washed over him.

Wrenching his head away, he found himself glued to the next one. And for a long while, he was unable to move his eyes. This, a wizard photo, was most certainly at his, er, his _counterpart's _and Lily's wedding. She looked absolutely glorious with a simple white spaghetti-strapped dress and little white flowers strewn in her fiery-red hair. He, too, he had to admit, looked better than he would have ever thought possible. In midnight blue robes, his hair tied back, and a remarkably warm smile on his lips and in his eyes, he exuded youth in all its brilliance, making him look every bit his pictured age of 24.

He watched in awe as Lily turned to his picture image, love sparkling in her eyes as they met in a passionate and incredibly loving kiss. When they separated, the newly-weds beamed at each other.

Severus watched in fascination as his picture-self looped an arm around Lily's shoulders and planted a chaste kiss on her temple before looking down in surprised amusement at something near his feet. For a moment earlier, a tiny messy-haired boy had lunged into the picture and clutched onto his leg like a barnacle. Eyes wide, Severus watched as the young man in the picture smiled hesitantly and bent down to the little boy who instantly reached up to loop his little arms around his neck. When little 4-year-old Harry was clutched to his side, the child proceeded to plant a very sloppy kiss on the young Severus' cheek before hugging him more tightly.

Severus looked away quickly again, unable to bear what he was seeing, but then his eye caught one more picture. In this photo, three people were smiling happily and waving, their arms looped around each other. On closer examination, he saw that it was his counterpart and Lily with a 13-year-old Harry pressed between them. Severus watched as Harry looked off to the right and the photo-Severus and Lily snuck a kiss above his head. The teenager, however, noticing what was going on, made a face of outraged embarrassment, and succeeded to tickle his father, at which point the photo-Severus gave him his full attention and tickled him back viciously. The two ended up on the floor, Harry laughing madly and trying to escape Severus' onslaught, but he was lost when Lily joined in.

Harry looked up at her with a face that depicted such shock at her betrayal that Severus nearly laughed despite himself. Picture-Lily and Sev grinned at each other over the complaining teenager and Harry took that moment as a chance to lean forward and hug them both to him, tackling them to the ground where they landed in a laughing tangle of limbs.

Severus watched in shock as picture-Severus grinned, leaned over, and then kissed Harry on the head. And to make it even more astonishing, the boy blushed only slightly. The boy's smile then widened and he sat up to give his father a close hug.

Severus set down the picture, shakily. He felt as if he'd just run for miles. The revelations he had gained in the last few minutes, first from the book, and then from the pictures, gave him insight into the relationship between this world's Harry and this world's Severus that he hadn't wanted. And yet, now that the images were in his head, he knew he would never rid himself of them short of obliviating himself.

For a moment, he actually considered doing just that, but instead decided to make some tea for himself, perhaps laced with some calming draught. Or perhaps he should go for some firewhisky? Anything to get his mind off of what he had just seen.

Because unbidden, he _had _felt something new stir inside of him as he watched his picture-self interact with the messy-haired brat. A strong and strange restlessness in his gut stirred that made him feel as if he were missing something. If he were to have examined the feeling closely enough to paste a name to it, he would have called it longing, but he stubbornly forbid his thoughts from wandering in such a direction. He couldn't long for such a relationship…with Potter, no less! The concept was absurd and he would have no part of it!

Rubbign his temples, he closed his eyes to try to sort out his feelings before he had to face anyone again.

* * *

><p>o O o O o<p>

"Harry? Sweetheart?" Lily called softly, knocking lightly on the door next to the Headmaster's office, pushing it open to see her son staring fixedly at a spot on the wall.

She bit her lip, wondering if she were doing the right thing by planning to have Severus come home with them. Well, either way, she could no longer afford to let Harry remain in the dark about the truth of the situation. Whatever explanations the boy had come up with on his own were clearly paining him, after all.

"Harry," she tried again, and this time, he jumped, his head suddenly flitting around to regard her with wide eyes.

"Mum! Oh, sorry, I didn't see you…"

She shook her head sadly and sat down beside him. Gently, she reached up and stroked his messy hair and thumbed his cheek. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"Oh, sure," he responded, too quickly.

Lily sighed. "Look, Harry. I know you're upset about…well, Severus…but there is a very good explanation-"

Harry turned away from her suddenly and pressed his palm against his face. "An explanation for why when he looked at me, I saw a stranger looking back? An explanation for why he was looking at me like he hated me? How the hell can you explain that, mum? I'd really like to know!"

"I _can _explain it, Harry, but you're going to need to let me talk and trust me, okay? This is going to sound very odd, but I swear to you, I'm telling the truth."

He looked hesitant for a minute, considering her, but then nodded. "Wizard's honor?" He asked.

"Wizard's honor," she returned, firmly, smiling slightly.

Harry sighed and spun in his chair to face her. "Okay, then. What happened, mum?"

Lily took a deep breath, thinking of how to start. "You said earlier that you looked at him and saw a stranger, right, Harry? As if someone entirely different was looking out through his eyes?"

Harry nodded, eyes widening. "So, was that someone in polyjuice-"

"No, Harry," she said firmly. "But your instincts were right. That man was, _is_, Severus, but…he isn't the Severus we know," she finished delicately, watching him to gage his reaction.

Harry stared at her in blatant confusion.

"You've heard about cross-dimensional travel, right Harry?"

He slowly nodded, eyes widening further.

"You see, darling," she said, brushing a stray lock away from his eyes, "That man is Severus Snape from…from a different dimension. A parallel universe. From a world very much like ours, but…with slight differences which have led him to lead a very different kind of life than our Severus."

Harry gawked at her, swallowing thickly. "So…so he…you mean he isn't my dad?"

Lily regarded Harry in silence for a minute before saying softly, "He's the same person deep down, Harry, but in his universe…he never had the chance to marry me, and so…he never had the experience of raising you. He's…had a hard life, sweetheart. Please don't take it personally, okay?"

Harry paused to digest that information before shaking his head slowly. "No. There's more to it than that, mum. The way he was looking at me. It wasn't like I was a stranger he'd heard was his son in this world. It was like…he knew me. Or, he thought he did. But he…I'm telling you, mum, when he looked at me, I just knew. He _loathes _me. I'm not sure what happened between them, my, er, other self and him, in his world, but I can tell you they don't have a pleasant relationship."

Lily was frozen at Harry's perceptiveness, and his confirmation of her fears made protectiveness well up within her. But rather than run out and give Severus a piece of her mind, she was more concerned with Harry's uncharacteristically depressed body language. She had to make him understand, and so she could no longer hold back anything.

"I believe you, Harry. But you must realize that his relationship with your counterpart is much more complicated than that. He hasn't admitted it to me, but I think he just can't bare to see you because you make him too sad…you see, in his world, I died the night James did."

Harry looked horrified, and unconsciously grasped her hand tightly. She smiled and squeezed him back.

"It's okay, Harry. But, you see, for that Severus, I have been dead for 15 years. He never had the chance to make amends with me, even. He's been living with a thick wad of guilt suffocating him all of these years. He's led a very brave, loyal but lonely life, and is now a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. He has never had a family, Harry, and he learned to erect borders around his heart long ago to protect himself. Without you and me to keep them melted, he became far too closed-off, I fear."

Harry listened intently and nodded in understanding, feeling sudden, powerful waves of empathy for this version of his father who had suffered so much.

"To be honest, Harry, he really didn't say much about his relationship with the Harry from his world, so our guesses are as good as anything, but from what I can gather, I think he feels some combination of guilt, resentment and jealousy whenever he looks on him. Can you…guess why?"

Harry thought about it for a time before several things occurred to him. "Well…he still loved you, right? Even though he never married you?"

She nodded, smiling sadly.

"So, clearly, he misses you, and he always wanted a family…that much is clear if you look at dad…but when he sees me, he doesn't see his son, but, well, James' son and he probably sees me as a lost opportunity or something. Am I right?"

"I think you're exactly right, Harry. I also think that Sev torments himself over my death and over the fact that he never apologized to me for a certain misunderstanding we had at Hogwarts…He is very hard on himself, but he is so used to being alone that he won't let his guard down, and I think he responds to you more negatively than is rational to hide any feelings of affection. See, he would have trained himself to think of such emotional feelings as vulnerabilities, and as a spy for the Light, he can't really afford something like that."

Harry nodded again, now understanding all too well the man's reaction to him. No wonder he'd reacted so violently to being called 'Dad.' It must have seemed like fate tormenting him or something. Outloud, he simply said, softly, "So, in his world, you..." He gulped, and choked out, "d-died without him ever getting to make up with you? That's…awful."

"It is," she agreed.

After a while, she said, "Harry? I was thinking of making him come home with us this summer. After all, it is his home, even if it isn't in this universe, but it just doesn't seem right to push him away and anyway…he is Severus, despite his different experiences. He's still part of our family, even if he doesn't know it yet. What do you think?"

She winked at him conspiratorially, and Harry laughed faintly.

"Yeah. We should ask him to come with us. I definitely don't mind, mum, and besides, I'm used to Dad on his worst days," he assured, grinning slightly.

She beamed at him, but then Harry looked up at her frantically. "But what about Dad? Is he in Severus' world? We can get him back, can't we? We have to! I just…"

"Harry, calm down! Don't worry! Albus and I have been discussing it, and it seems as if the two Sevs just switched places. He should be totally safe."

Harry was not entirely comforted by her reassurances, but nodded nonetheless. "But…when can we get him back? I mean, how can we?"

"We can, Harry. Trust me, we can. Albus is going to speak with Professor Flamel, who knows a lot about this, and they're going to do research together to fix everything up."

Harry nodded, but pressed on, "But when, mum? How soon do you think Professor Flamel and Professor Dumbledore can get Dad back?"

Slowly, Lily said, "Well…from what we can gather, it could be anywhere between six months to a year to the day that he came here originally. You see, he can only leave when another wormhole comes to take him back…"

"A…a year?" Harry gasped. "But…so dad'll be away from us for a whole year? And…and _he's_ going to be here instead?"

"Harry, I'm sorry. But there isn't anything we can do. Please try not to think to harshly on Severus, either."

"I wouldn't, Mum. I have nothing against him. I just…can't believe I won't get to see dad for a whole year!" The pain in his voice was tangible, but when he looked up at his mother, who looked suddenly so young and unsure, he steeled himself and grabbed her hand. "Don't worry, Mum. We'll see Dad again, soon. Knowing him, he's making the best of wherever he is, and I'm sure we can ask Severus for more information about the place…and meanwhile," he suddenly smiled slyly, "I've got a new project to work on!"

Lily narrowed her eyes, suddenly suspicious. "Harry Potter-Snape, just what are you on about?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just a little thing called melting the ice-Prince! What do you think, Mum? Think I can do it?"

She sighed. "You, my darling little brat, are impossible. But if anyone is stubborn enough to pull a Severus Snape with a huge chip on his shoulder back into the world of the living, it's you. Just…don't let him get to you, honey. He's bound to be, er, grouchy," she finished feebly.

"I've dealt with worse!" Harry said, grinning, waving her off before jumping up.

"Harry? Where are you-"

"I'm going to visit Severus!"

"Honey, I don't think this is a good time! He's still adapting and he's-"

"Oh, don't worry so much, Mum! I'll be gentle!" And with a last wink, he flew from the door and she could just hear him shouting his goodbyes to the headmaster before vaulting down the stairs.

"Oh Merlin, what are we in for now?" She said aloud, wondering in bemusement at Harry's ability to go from worry and depression to excitement and mischievousness in an instant. _Hopefully together we can breathe some life into that man_.

* * *

><p>As always, thanks for reading! Again, any comments you can give me are MUCH appreciated! Thanks so much! Harry's OOC-ness is intentional, btw, as he is an AU Harry~ I'm not sure if my Lily POV reasoning worked out so well, but let me know!<p>

_**Next time**: Canon World: _Remus advises Harry, Sev confronts Albus about the Dursleys and more! Look forward to it!

tess4aria


	5. Changing Perspectives

**Chapter 3: Changing Perspectives**

_**Canon World**_

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><p>Once again, thank you all so much for your response thus far! I thrive on your enthusiasm! Please continue to review!<p>

And now, a LONG chapter...complete with a long-awaited real conversation between Harry and AU Snape! Hope you enjoy it!

Harry Potter belongs to J.K.

_**Please R&R~! Thank you so much!**_

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><p>o O o O o<p>

When Remus had gone, Severus leaned against the wall of Dumbledore's office, trying to settle the past hour's disturbing revelations in his head. He barely spared a thought for whatever _effects _Albus had so forbodingly mentioned he might begin to experience once his magical stores had been sufficiently replenished. Rather, his mind was occupied by just how complicated it would no doubt be to get home, and from that came the niggling fear that he might never be able to. At that horrifying possibility, he was hit with an astonishing wave of pain at the thought of being stuck here, in this universe, without Lily. For as heart-shattering and unbelievable as it was, the fact was that Lily no longer existed here. His fierce, beautiful, passionate love was not here to kiss away his troubles or run her hands through his hair, or tease him and keep his anger from getting out of hand…

Here, she was but a memory. But to him, she would always be more than that. He would not submit to his fears and doubts that he might never see her again in life. No, he would make it home-to Lily, and to Harry. There was no alternative.

_Harry_...The boy who was so like his messy-haired imp of a son was the only bit of Lily that remained in this world. But thinking about the boy brought a mess of conflicting feelings and challenges to the forefront of his mind.

This Harry hated him, and had every reason to, it seemed. This Harry had grown up never knowing his mother, and that struck Severus with perhaps the sharpest pain and regret he had felt so far. For Harry to grow up without Lily just seemed so…wrong. And yet, from what he'd heard and seen, the boy seemed to channel her personality all the same. Self-sacrificial, and possessing a foolish 'saving-people thing,' Harry seemed to be every bit Lily's son as his own. The boy was, afterall, regardless of experience, _Harry_.

And then a chilling thought hit him. If Harry hadn't grown up with Lily… What had Dumbledore said? He had grown up with his…aunt and uncle? A wave of hard, horrible suspicion clutched Severus' heart and he fought to suppress his anger as he turned to Albus.

"Is something the matter, Severus?" Albus asked. "Beyond the obvious, that is," he added.

"Albus," he said through gritted teeth. "When you said that Harry lives with his aunt and uncle…you didn't mean, you couldn't mean…Lily's sister and her family?" His voice was pleading but weak, and inside, he felt borderline desperate.

Albus looked somewhat confused, and said, hesitantly, "Well, yes, Severus. Lily's sister, being her last living relative, was necessary for me to set up the blood wards to keep Harry safe. I understand that he is not overly fond of the Dursleys, but they have kept him safe all these years. It is unfortunate he couldn't have been brought up by his true family, but-"

At this, all thoughts of the bridges he must build with this new Harry, or concerns about this not being _his_ Harry, fled Severus' mind. He was conscious only of a surge of powerful protectiveness, regardless of who this boy was, or what he thought of him. At the same time, a wave of fresh, hot anger at the naive carelessness of Albus, who, noticing the fierce glare directed at him, found himself trailing off. Indeed, Severus was currently subjecting him to a glare to rival the fiercest the Severus Albus knew so well had ever employed.

"You fool, Albus! How could you? Do you know how they must have treated Harry? I can't believe you would have left him with a family like that. I'd be shocked if they didn't abuse him…they're monsters, and they've always hated Lily! How do you expect them to treat her son?"

"Oh, Severus, it can't have been all that bad." At the look the younger wizard shot him, he edited quickly, a weak but hopeful tone in his voice, "Well, perhaps they aren't as bad in this world as in yours?"

"Wishful thinking, Albus, but that's a very cowardly straw to grasp onto. Harry is not going back there, do you hear me?" He roared.

"But Severus, where-"

"He's coming home with me. And that is final!"

"Severus, please, it isn't safe, it-"

"Bollocks! Merlin, old man, if Lily, Harry and I, all near the top of Voldemort's wanted list in my world, have managed to survive until now at Spinner's End, then why the hell should this be any different? Use the Fidelius charm on my home, old man. That's the least you could do." And with that, he started from the office, only to be stopped when Albus spoke again, the man's voice softer but with his composure regained.

"I understand, Severus. I hope things aren't as you say, but perhaps Harry wants to stay with his aunt and uncle?"

"Fat chance," he snapped. "But I'll talk with him."

"Don't be rash, Severus. Think about what's best for Harry."

Another tidal wave of anger flooded him and he turned to Albus once more. "I am, Albus! And I might say the same to you! When was the last time you considered Harry as a boy, and not as a tool in your damn war?"

This left Albus speechless, and with a satisfied but grim nod, Severus flew from the room, his robes billowing behind him.

Yes, he would talk to the boy. But despite his first instinct to seek him out this instant, he knew he had to restrain himself or risk scaring him off for good. He just had to find the right opportunity to get Harry to listen to him with an open mind... just as this thought warmed him with a new sense of determination, a wave of intense exhaustion slammed into Severus, and he only just managed to make it back into his quarters (the password for which was, thankfully, the same as it was in his own world) before collapsing on his leather couch.

* * *

><p>o O o O o<p>

"Harry?"

"Oh. Hey Remus."

Harry lifted his head just enough to meet his former professor's eyes.

"You holding up okay?" Remus asked softly, sitting beside Harry on the grass, and leaning back against the old oak tree.

Harry just shrugged.

"I know this is bizarre, Harry, but you have to remember, he isn't the same person as the Severus Snape we all know."

Harry gritted his teeth. "I…know that, Remus. It was obvious. I mean, he doesn't act a thing like the greasy git we all know and despise, but…I mean, it would be one thing if he were just Snape's nice twin from another world, but that's not it at all! He's…he's-" Harry trailed off, unable to form the words.

"I know, Harry. It was a shock for me as well…though I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that there would be worlds where they would have been together."

That got Harry's attention and he gaped at Remus. "What? What are you talking about?"

Remus smiled gently at him. "Harry, I'm sure no one has ever mentioned this, but Severus…that is, our Severus, was close friends with your mother for most of their time at Hogwarts."

"He…he was?" Harry croaked. "But…but he hated…well…"

"He hated your father, yes, but to be honest, Harry, that wasn't all Severus' fault. You see, James and Sirius, especially, were pretty cruel to him, to be completely honest. And Severus was always a loner. Lily was his only friend. I always thought that he was just jealous of Lily being friends with anyone else, but if he actually loved her…well, it makes even more sense why he would have resented her relationship with James."

Harry stared at Remus, and seeing the sincerity and regret in his eyes, gulped and nodded, comprehension dawning. Even though it was painful to think about, it did make sense. He had seen, after all, just how humiliating a time Snape had had at Hogwarts, in great part due to James Potter and Sirius Black, and if it was true that he had always been close to Lily but he felt the marauders had essentially stolen her from him…well, suddenly, his irrational anger and hatred towards Harry made a lot more sense.

_So, basically…he sees me as a constant reminder of what my dad stole from him?_

But feelings of understanding and empathy were overshadowed once again by a sickening realization. "But Remus…I can understand that. I don't have anything against the guy, but…in his time, he's, well, he's my…" Once again, he couldn't say the word, "And what if he expects some sort of…relationship? I just can't do it. I can't see him and treat him more than civilly, Remus. After all he's put me through, I just can't!"

Remus smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Don't worry about it, Harry. I'm sure Severus will understand. It's difficult for both of you, but just realize that this is a man who cares for you, but understands why you don't care for him. He doesn't expect anything from you, Harry, but do try to understand his feelings, okay?"

Harry nodded numbly. "Yeah, sure. Thanks Remus. I…I'm just going to stay out here for a bit longer, okay? Spend some time alone?"

"Sure, cub. I'll be around to talk if you need me, okay?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>o O o O o<p>

The next few days were moderately uneventful. After the initial shock of Voldemort's return, finally confirmed by the Ministry, had time to circle around for a bit, most students had settled into their moderately normal end-of-year excitement. Harry watched them laugh and joke with each other and felt, not for the first time, a twinge of jealousy for their normal lives. They would all (well, most of them, at least), be preparing to head home to see families who loved them, and who didn't seem them as burdens.

Harry, of course, had the Dursleys, chores, and isolation to look forward to. What joy.

The Boy-who-lived found himself glancing up at the head table and noticed that, for the first time since their meeting in Dumbledore's office, Severus Snape was sitting there.

Harry's heartbeat sped up and he instantly felt his nerves going haywire. Harry had had plenty of time to think about this man the past few days, but the concept of him was just so uncomfortable that he could barely stomach considering him for more than a few minutes at a time...and now, to see him there in front of him, looking every bit the same, menacing Potions Master he had come to comfortably hate yet meanwhile knowing the _truth_, was another thing entirely.

Then the man looked up and met his eyes, and Harry felt shocked stiff by the emotion in his gaze. There was not a hint of what he was so used to seeing. Instead, he saw what he now recognized (albeit reluctantly) as blatant, undeniable affection, and a sad, regretful understanding that almost made Harry want to believe that he could give this man what he seemed to want. But no. Harry quickly ripped his gaze away, stood up, and walked from the great hall as hurriedly as he could without attracting attention, only breaking into a run as soon as he was sure he was out of sight of the rest of the school.

He vaguely thought he heard Ron and Hermione calling out for him, but he just shook his head and continued on out to the lake. He hadn't told them, yet, what had happened, and he didn't feel able to talk about it yet. Especially as he had no clue what to think about it, either.

After rounding the side of Hagrid's hut, Harry pulled out his shrunken firebolt from his pocket and took off. The instant his feet left the ground and the warm, soft currents of early summer air washed over him, he felt infinitely freer. The gentle caresses of the wind embraced him in a familiar way which soothed him as he had always, deep down, wanted to be soothed. But he couldn't admit that to anyone, and so only here, when he was alone in the wide-open sky, hurdling over the castle turrets, did he feel able to really let himself go. He laughed up in this private world where no one could judge him and let a few spare tears fall as he sped higher and higher, more and more quickly, letting his thoughts and worries flow freely. After a few more circuits, he landed lightly in a private little grove on the edge of the forbidden forest.

Grinning widely, he shrunk his broom again and stretched out on the warm grass. Closing his eyes, he reveled in the momentary peace.

"I thought I might find you here."

Harry jumped, his peace of mind leaving him like water down a fall as he stared in utter, wide-eyed shock at the last man he wanted to see, and, at the same time, at the person he felt a strange impulse to talk to, to clear up and sort through his confused thoughts of the past few days.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I would like to say I didn't intend on surprising you, but that wouldn't be quite honest. I figured, however, you would prefer my revealing myself now to my hiding my presence for any longer than necessary."

Harry nodded absently before his brain caught up with his muscles and he suddenly burst out, angrily, "You followed me?"

But the man was unnervingly calm as he leaned back against a tree, arms crossed over his chest as he responded, lightly, "Not at all. I thought you might come here. I've been here for the last few minutes. I did, however, watch some of your flying antics, admittedly. Though I would prefer you to tone down the daredevil stunts, I must say your skills are…impressive."

It took Harry several long moments to compute what the man had just said to him. But what he first registered, in loud, screaming alarm tones, was the simple fact that Snape…SNAPE had just praised him! And sure, the man's tone sounded moderately amused, but he didn't seem to be having him on. No, he seemed really quite…sincere.

Pushing that aside to deal with late, another thought hit him. "How did you know I'd be here?"

Severus' face was inscruptable for a few seconds before it melted into a slightly sad smile. As the man continued to silently regard him that way, comprehension dawned and Harry found he could no longer meet his eyes. "Oh. I guess…er…_he _comes here often?"

"He does," was the reply, and Harry was vaguely aware, though he didn't look to see, that Snape had sat down against the tree to his right. "He comes here whenever he is particularly vexed with some problem…or when we have a fight. As both apply somewhat to the current situation, I figured I'd try my luck."

"Uh-huh," Harry muttered, trying get straight the fact that apparently, this other version of himself, who considered _Snape_ his _father_, was so similar to him that he even chose the same place to unwind…if that were the case, was it possible? If this man was that Harry's father, could _he_ grow to think of him in the same way?

Harry pushed the thought away as soon as it formed. It was ridiculous, anyway. He HATED Snape. And yet, what Remus had said was right, and if his own observations weren't deceiving him, this man seemed to be truly different from the man he knew. If only they didn't look so damn alike. Maybe he could just think of them as twins or something? Before he had time to really think this through thoroughly, he realized the man was talking again.

"Oh, what?" Harry blushed slightly as he realized he hadn't caught a word the man had said.

Severus was again watching him with emotions playing in his eyes which Harry never would have believed possible. Perhaps, on the Snape he knew, he was right, but this man here made those familiar, cold ice-shards Snape called eyes fill with a warmth which made him look much more...human. "I was saying…look, Harry, I'm aware of how my…counterpart treated you and I am extremely sorry for that. I confess it doesn't surprise me entirely, and loathe as I am to admit it, I am aware that I have a cruel and vindictive streak within me. To be honest, even after all my time living with you and Lily, I don't think on James Potter all too fondly, but I am ashamed to think that I would be capable of holding one man's actions against an innocent child. For what it's worth, I am…sorry, Harry."

Harry didn't know what to say. Had this been _Snape_ saying these words to him, he would have been shocked beyond measure. But this wasn't Snape. Not really. Not the Snape he knew, and so he could only observe what was being said to him detachedly, as if he were watching a movie. It didn't really mean anything, after all. This was just some nicer man who looked like Snape who felt bad his look-alike was a git. Harry appreciated the gesture, but it really just made him feel more uncomfortable.

The man seemed to pick up on this, and so smiled and said, "I take it you're on the house team?"

"Huh?" Of all the turns this conversation could take, this was not it.

"Quidditch. My Harry's a seeker. How about you?"

Harry felt a strange, almost indiscernible and humongously traitorous twinge of envy at that phrase- 'my Harry.' He shoved that notion away roughly.

"Er, yes. I'm uh, a seeker."

"I bet you're fantastic. Maybe we could play a game sometime?"

At this, Harry gaped openly at him. This was just so completely and utterly unSnape-like that he almost laughed aloud. Harry actually felt a slight weight lifting from his chest, as this man's comment made it somewhat easier to reconcile the fact that he truly was a different person entirely from the man he knew. The Snape he knew didn't like Quidditch as far as he could tell. The most response he'd ever seen Snape give at a quiddich game was a scowl when Gryffindor scored and a smirk when Slytherin did.

But this not-Snape was still waiting patiently for an answer and Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. "Er, well sir, that is…I doubt you'll be here for much longer and so…" He trailed off.

Severus fell silent again, and continued in a low, soft voice, "I'm…not so sure about that, Harry. Whatever happened to send me here, Albus and I feel it seemed to have stemmed from a small, temporary instability in our universes…though he's quite sure it will take me back eventually, it is unlikely I'll be here for less than 6 months. More than likely, though, the wormhole to take me back won't materialize for a full year. If I were to give my best guess, I'd say you should expect me for at least that long."

"A…a year? You mean…so, Snape will be in your world, and you'll be here for a year?"

Severus smiled slightly. "Yes."

Harry finally turned to look him in the eye more confidently now and felt a wave of pity for this man hit him. He would most likely be trapped away from his family for an entire year. Here with the friendly legacy Snape had left him. Harry bit his lip, pleading with himself not to think to hard on the _family _waiting for him in his world.

Severus seemed to pick up on the morbid turn of Harry's thoughts and decided to distract him. With a slightly crooked smile, he said wryly, "You know, it's odd to hear you talk of _him_ as Snape. Who, then, am I, if I may ask?"

_Well_, Severus thought with satisfaction, _that seemed to get Harry's mind out of his thoughts_. Indeed, the boy dropped his morose expression and balked at the slightly cheeky smile the man was giving him. Then Harry gaped. Did he just _wink_?

"Er, that is…"

Severus laughed, again almost sending Harry into conniptions, and decided to help him out. "If you feel comfortable, Harry, you could call me Severus. Would that be amenable to you?"

After blinking inanely for several seconds, Harry managed a soft, "Oh, uh, I guess that would be...okay, um…S-Severus." As soon as it fell from his lips, he felt somewhat better, and much less confused. He had now drawn a clear, monikered distinction between the two men. This was Severus, and the bane of his last five years was Snape. Two entirely different people. So perhaps he could hate one and like the other? Because despite himself, he was finding _Severus_ to be…quite likeable.

"Here," Severus said abruptly, and handed Harry a sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap.

At Harry's questioning look, Severus laughed and shrugged, saying, "I noticed you didn't eat much at lunch, so I thought I'd try to push this off on you. Peanut butter and banana sandwich. Not the healthiest, I know, but…I figured some comfort food wouldn't be a bad move at the moment."

Harry silently and mechanically took the sandwich and stared at it suspiciously before gently unwrapping it and taking a bite. He instantly grinned and took another bite before turning shocked eyes up at Severus. "This is great! Uh, thanks, Severus."

Severus chuckled. "You've never had one of those before?"

Harry shook his head. "No, uh, should I have?"

Severus shook his head slowly, but Harry could see the pained expression in his eyes. Then he understood. "Ah, I guess, Harry, or, your Harry likes these?"

"Guilty, once again," Severus admitted softly. "I'm sorry, Harry. I know you two aren't the same, but…you really are quite similar. Please, if I make an assumption that bothers you or if I am wrong about something, let me know, alright? It isn't my intention to see you as the same, but…it's difficult not to at times."

"I…understand, I think. That's why…it helps me to think of you as Severus. It helps me remember that you aren't the same as the Snape I know. I guess, I'm Harry Potter and yours is Harry, er, Snape, right?" Harry, despite himself, had to suppress a shudder at that name. "I'm sure we're pretty different, really, but it's odd, you know? That you know more about some of my likes and preferences than I do."

"Yes. I know what you mean." Severus sighed, between looking at Harry seriously. "Listen, Harry. I want you to realize that…I don't expect anything of you. I won't pressure you to fill Harry Snape's shoes. You have enough to get on with, considering some of what I've gleameld from Albus these past few days, and the last thing I want is to be another battle for you to deal with. Just…all I ask is that, if you need someone to talk to, or need any help of any kind, please consider coming to me. It would make me…incredibly gratified to do whatever I could for you. I confess I would very much like to get to know you. But, saying that, I don't mean to put any pressure on you to develop such a relationship. Any advances that way I will leave mostly to you. Will you consider this, Harry?"

After a time, Harry nodded slowly. He was surprised that he truly meant what he said. "Yes. I will consider it…Severus."

"Good."

The relief in Severus' voice was striking, and it hit Harry like a sudden blast of fresh air. He no longer felt quite so terrified. At least, now, their expectations for each other were on the table, somewhat. He didn't have to be anyone else. The weird thing was that, even as he was, Severus seemed interested in getting to know him. And he was no longer really bothered by the fact that this guy was, biologically, at least, Snape. He truly, honestly, appreciated the man's apparent interest in him. It was just so odd…so very unusual for him to have an adult grown male, beside Sirius and Remus, wanting so unconditionally to get to know him. And on the heels of losing Sirius, it was almost too much for him. Harry was just on the verge of excusing himself when Severus spoke again.

"Harry, there is one more thing I would like to talk to you about."

Severus' tone was grim, and there was unveiled anger coursing right beneath the surface. Harry blinked at him. What could be so upsetting to this impossibly calm and collected version of Severus Snape?

"Albus has informed me that you will be returning to your…aunt and uncle's" he spat the words, and Harry couldn't help but grin a little. Severus seemed to hate them as much as he did, though he wasn't sure how that could be possible. "I expressed my opinion on this point to him, but he insisted you may not agree with me. Harry," and he turned to look at him seriously. "If you had a choice, would you return to the Dursleys' this summer?"

Without hesitation, Harry blurted "No! Hell no! I hate them. And they'd be just as glad to see the back of me, I can tell you."

"So it's as I thought," Severus bit out, and Harry was surprised to hear that his voice was almost shaking.

"Er, yeah. They kind of think of me as a waste of space. And a freak who might just infect them with the freakish 'M' word if I so much as breath on them."

"The M word?"

"Oh. Magic. They detest it. Or fear it. Both really. Same goes for me."

"You're not going back there. I'm going to talk to Albus again."

"Wait, Severus! You mean…you really think I won't have to go back? But…I've asked Dumbledore before and he just said I had to because of the blood wards."

Severus' eyes flashed dangerously when he turned around. "If that bloody fool thinks he can keep you locked up with those abusive bastards, he's sorely mistaken. No son of mine will be treated that way!"

For the next few minutes, Harry wasn't sure if he had so much as remembered to breathe, he felt so numb and frozen. Unbidden, Severus' words continued to flow over him: '_No son of mine will be treated that way!' _The man was clearly in his own world, for it wasn't like he was Severus' son! At once, he felt both almost undone by the sudden childish desire for those words to have been intended for him, and an unwanted spike of jealousy and resentment that they really weren't meant for him.

It truly seemed as if Severus wasn't even aware of what he'd said, so Harry swallowed his thoughts and pretended that nothing was out of the ordinary, forcing a slight smile onto his face. When the shock finally began to wear off, another question hit him and he blurted it out before he could think. "Um, sir? Severus? If I don't go to the Dursleys' then where would I go? Would I stay at Hogwarts?"

At this, Severus stopped dead and turned to consider Harry. When he spoke, his voice was hesitant. Almost shy. "If you'd like, Harry, you could stay with me. It is, of course, my counterpart's house, not mine, per se, so I am not certain of its condition, but given time, I am sure I could fix it up to be reasonably suitable."

"Stay…with you?" Harry echoed.

"If you don't want to, I completely understand. I realize this may seem as if I am pushing for some kind of vicarious father-son relationship. That truly is not my intention. I simply can't stand by and let you go somewhere you will either be unsafe or unhappy. If you will consider it, I will broach the topic with Albus. It is, however, more likely than not that he will put his foot down about sending you to the muggles for two weeks."

Harry nodded, fully expecting this.

"However, don't think I'm going to allow you to go there alone and unarmed, Harry. You aren't going to endure another second of their ridicule without some comeuppance."

Harry stared at him at this. "What do you mean, Severus? I'm still underage, and…"

"Oh, just wait and see, Harry. Suffice it to say, Tunie may be receiving a visit she will be none to pleased to entertain." Severus' face was suddenly creepily reminiscent of Snape in one of his evil, plotting moods, but in this context, the man's expression made Harry grin right back.

"Tunie?" Then it hit him. "Oh, you mean, Aunt Petunia? You know Aunt Petunia? Oh, of course you do. You're, er, with my mum, aren't you?" Harry was blushing, and he knew he was rambling, but it was all so absurd that it was almost funny.

"Yes, though I've known Petunia a fair bit longer than I've been married to your mother. After all, your mother and I met when we were seven years old."

"W-what? You did?"

"Yes. I assume my counterpart was the same as myself in that regard. As far as I can see, our timelines only diverged that Halloween night…" his voice trailed off, suddenly sad.

"Anyway, Harry. I will go and speak with Albus. As for my offer, don't worry about giving me a response immediately. You still have a week left here at Hogwarts, after all. Even if you change your mind later in the summer, I guarantee you will have a way to keep in touch with me."

"Okay, sir. Oh, but, what about the Burrow? Could I go there, do you think?"

For an instant, Severus actually looked hurt, and Harry found himself struck with a guilty twinge in his chest. To be honest, he wasn't sure why he even mentioned it. He was truly intrigued by this new Severus. And while he was repulsed by the idea of going to live at Snape's house, he was both scared and excited by the kind of summer this man was offering him. Harry truly wasn't thinking full-heartedly about the Burrow so much as wondering how Severus would respond to the question.

After another moment, he said, "Well, I'll mention it to Albus. He may be opposed to it, and will likely make you stay with the muggles for two weeks…I'm not sure how I feel about the level of security, but if you so desire it, Harry, I will do my best to make it happen for you."

Harry couldn't help it. He was touched by the man's words, his sincerity, and his obvious willingness to sacrifice his own desires for what he perceived to be Harry's.

With a slight smile, Harry said, "I think I might try your place, Severus. After all, no pressure, right? I could always run away to the Burrow if you go all Snape on me!"

Severus gave him a truly genuine smile, and the effect it had on the normally dour face was astonishing. The man was almost unrecognizable, and for a second, Harry could almost understand why his mother could live with such a man. If only he smiled more often, and washed his hair, and wore some normal clothing, he would almost look like a normal guy!

"Knut for your thoughts?" Severus asked as he escorted Harry back towards the castle several minutes later.

"Oh, nothing," Harry smiled. "I…uh, thanks."

"You're welcome. But you have little to thank me for yet. I need to go and speak with the headmaster before anything is set in stone. But rest assured, this will be a very different summer than your last. I can only hope it will be better."

"Not much chance it could be worse!"

"Do I even want to know?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, the ministry sent some dementors after me and I had to protect my cousin from them and then I was almost expelled for using a Patronus in a muggle area…before that it was the usual Dursleys rot and then after I went to stay at Grimmauld Place and…"

Harry trailed off, and suddenly his face was very grim. It was then that Severus remembered what Remus had mentioned had happened so recently. Gently, he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Harry. You and Black were close, I presume?"

"He…he was like the first person to really treat me like family, besides Hermione and the Weasleys. He wanted me, you know? At least, he seemed like he did. But we had less than two damn years together! He hadn't even been able to clear his name yet after Azkaban and…" Harry sighed. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about it. You hated him anyway." Harry's tone was accusatory at the end, but not fiercely so.

"I did not like him, I will not deny that. However, I, personally, haven't hated him in years. You and your mother helped me with that. Remus did too. It's hard to hate someone when he loves and is loved by all those you are closest to."

"You're friends with Remus?" This time, Harry was genuinely curious.

"I am. We're actually quite close. He was always the least offensive of the Marauders and he's always been a close friend of ours-Lily's and mine, that is."

Severus noticed a faint but growing longing in Harry's eyes and he smiled gently at him. Hesitantly, he reached out and ruffled the young man's hair. Harry jumped and stared at him, but a ghost of a traitorous smile made its way onto his shocked face.

"I'll tell you more later. About my life with Lily. If you'd like, that is."

"I'd…like that," Harry said softly.

"Good. In exchange, I would like you to tell me about yourself. At your own pace, of course."

"O-okay." Harry shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. They were now standing in the entry hall. "Erm, I guess I'll see you soon."

"Yes. I will see you soon, Harry. I'll let you know what happens with the stubborn old coot."

Harry gave him a look of mock-shock before a small, slightly sly grin settled itself on his face. "Sure. Goodnight, professor."

"Goodnight, Mr. Potter," Severus responded softly, watching the boy walk away up the grand flight of stairs. Severus felt his chest constrict as he thought over the last hour he'd had alone with this boy, and what he now knew about him, from his discussions with Albus, as well. This boy was so like his own, and yet he was different, too. He was also damaged in certain ways-his self-confidence, in particular, needed some work. With such a hard life, Severus couldn't say he was surprised, though it didn't make it any easier to deal with. But while Harry Potter was hurt, he was most definitely not broken. He was strong and good in his own, unique way, in a way both similar to and yet different from his own Harry.

Severus realized then that he had finally begun to really see this Harry as his own person. And he found himself wanting, genuinely, to make Harry Potter as much a part of his life as Harry Snape…it felt almost as if he had found his son's long-lost twin. Here he had another son he now had the chance to meet, get to know, and make amends with.

Those were his selfish desires, but he knew he couldn't push the boy. He would try his best to be stolid and steady and supportive, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold up under those eyes.

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><p>There's Canon Chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think about how I dealt with the various issuesscenes presented here! I know the Harry/Snape section was SUPERFLUFFY/CHEESY...but I hope it wasn't too too rushed. This doesn't mean it'll be totally smooth sailing to the end, though! Let me know what you think!

Thanks again!

till next time!

tess4aria


	6. Parallel: Playing with Ice

_**Chapter 3: Playing with Ice**_

**Parallel World**

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><p>First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your reviews! You are so inspiring and wonderful, and your comments are so helpful.<p>

I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter. Also, I realize it is somewhat shorter than past chapters, but I hope it is enjoyable nonetheless!

Harry Potter belongs to J.K.

_**Please R&R~! Thank you so much!**_

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><p>o O o O o<p>

Severus scowled into his cup of tea as he tried to ignore the uncomfortable and confusing feelings being forced on him by the evidence of his other self's life in this world. Try as he might to ignore it, flashes of the framed pictures he'd seen in the living room were invading his studied neutrality, and he felt a constant irritating burn in his chest that he couldn't quite place. It was unnerving, seeing evidence of a life he had never lived littered throughout his familiar living quarters. And it brought up too many feelings he had long since guarded himself against, and the inevitable question of what it would have been like had he lived the life his counterpart had. He had moved to the kitchen due to its being surprisingly not as full of intrusive differences between this world and his own as the other rooms in the chambers, and there he sat, contemplating adding firewhisky to his tea.

Standing suddenly, he grabbed a shot glass and threw back two fingers of the burning, soothing liquid, closing his eyes until the pleasant numbness helped to soothe his nerves. With a sigh, he sat back down and fingered a potions journal on the kitchen table as his mind began to wander.

Just how…HOW could he be expected to live in this world where everyone saw him as that soft, smiling man in those pictures? And the boy…how would he deal with the boy? No doubt he would expect coddling from him like he had clearly received from his…_father_. Severus flinched. Just the thought that in any universe he had taken the role (apparently by choice) of raising that boy was nothing short of mind-boggling. For he, who had never seen Harry Potter as anything more than a constant irritant and infernal reminder of his bloody, God-forsaken father…to imagine living with the brat and having a civil or...(he shuddered) _more-than-cordial_ relationship just seemed too impossible to believe.

Once again, the boy's affectionate missive to him-no, his _father, _Severus sneered internally-and the pictures of the three of them looking so…_happy_…and then, the look of open confusion and hurt in the boy's bloody green eyes when he snapped at him earlier flashed through his mind and he grimaced.

No, it wasn't his place to consider the boy's feelings. It wasn't as if he had intentionally stolen the boy's father away. He didn't owe him anything. Severus sighed and rubbed at his temple. For Lily, he would put up with Potter's presence, but that was it. He would not extend himself further than that.

Severus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose at the telltale sounds of someone entering the chambers, steeling himself to meet Lily (who was, he had to remind himself, the boy's _mother_ and would likely not appreciate any disparaging comments about her son). With a sigh, he feigned nonchalance and began to page through the journal.

He heard the footsteps of whoever had entered approaching, and his long-ago hardened heart lurched at the thought of seeing Lily again. When he'd first woken up beside her, it had been like walking through a dream. He had simply let himself go and enjoyed the impossibility of being with Lily, of hearing her beautiful voice and the sensation of running his hands through her hair. But like a vicious weed, fear and doubt had begun to creep up and he had begun to distrust what he'd seen and experienced since he'd woken up in this strange yet familiar land.

Now, after having some time to think to himself in these chambers so like his own but filled with mementos of a life he hadn't lived, he found himself unsure of how to move forward.

And what if this were, after all, just a farce? What if Lily were to come in and cast him away in disgust? For he wasn't the man in those pictures. That man was a stranger, completely irreconcilable with the man Severus saw when looking in the mirror. As he sat there, nerves overtaking him, pouring tea down his throat to warm his chest but not really tasting it, he wondered if he wouldn't wake to find this all having been a dream…

He wasn't good enough for Lily. Of that, he was certain. Here he was, an interloper in her life. For all the sweet promises she had made, who was he to wrench her from the life she had forged for herself? She didn't love him. She loved another, and she loved this boy, _their_ son. Perhaps he should leave rather than suffer the pity of a woman who was so much like his Lily, who had died so long ago.

A light tap reminded him that he was no longer alone. But rather than the sweet voice he both yearned to hear with every fiber of his being and yet was afraid of how to respond to, he heard the soft, slightly cheeky voice of a young man.

"Is that any good?" The voice asked from the doorway.

Severus jumped in surprise, so taken aback by who was standing in his doorway that he spilled his tea down the front of his shirt, and nearly ripped the journal he was clutching in half.

"Potter!" He snarled, fuming and quickly reaching for his wand to cast a drying spell.

Before he could, however, he felt his clothes drying. Looking up, he met apologetic green eyes as the boy smiled at him slightly as he pocketed his own wand, saying, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to surprise you. Well, that's not entirely true, but I didn't imagine I'd have such an effect on you!"

Severus growled something incoherent and looked away. "What are you doing here, Potter?"

Clearly not too perturbed by the man's acerbic tone, Harry simply smiled softly as he walked to the kitchen counter, grabbed the pot of tea, and then leaned forward to refill Severus' cup before the man could object, pointedly ignoring the way the man's scowl deepened significantly as he did so. He then poured a cup for himself before settling on the other side of the table from him, watching him intently. Severus, who had to that point been ignoring the boy's movements, let one eye graze to Harry for a moment and glared at him, daring him to explain himself.

Harry looked at him seriously and said, "I wanted to speak with you, if you wouldn't mind."

Snape scoffed, looking at the boy incredulously, his expression shouting that clearly, he did mind, but before he could voice his protests aloud, Harry smiled wryly and continued.

"I understand it's odd. It is for me, too, _trust_ me. But we have to deal with this sometime, right? What's wrong with getting the worst over with now?" Severus didn't respond, but Harry offered him a slightly pointed smile and said, "Oh, and it's Snape, by the way."

"What?" Severus looked up, scowling at the calmly smiling boy across the table.

"My name. It's Snape. Not Potter," Harry patiently explained.

Despite himself, Severus felt uncomfortable hearing that definite, unhesitating declaration. To hear Harry bloody Po…well, the boy-who-bloody-lived…simply denounce his Potter blood like that. It was odd. And unsettling. But in a way, it felt like divine justice, and a slight smirk crept onto Severus' face despite himself.

"Well, I don't suppose you expect me to call you _Snape_, now do you?"

Harry grinned at that. "I wouldn't really care. Potter's just weird, though. Whenever Dad's really pissed off, er, _less than pleased_," he corrected quickly, "with me, he calls me Mr. Potter-Snape, but…well…I don't intend on making you that angry anytime soon."

"Don't bet your life on that," Snape groused.

Harry just raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, you're probably right. I know I'm an insufferable, unmanageable, no-good imp. Dad reminds me of that all the time! So I won't be placing any high bets, but I do promise to act as reasonable as I possibly can for as long as I can refrain from getting distracted."

Severus sighed and shook his head. The brat did have a sense of humor, he admitted grudgingly. Though the boy's clear attempt at ice breaking was currently giving him more of pounding headache than any inclination to laugh.

After a few minutes of silence, Harry spoke up again. "So…I don't really know much about you. What do you do in your world?"

The annoyed, sharp glare directed his way had him grinning sheepishly and adding, "Oh, I mean…well, you're still a potions professor, right? But, er…I was actually wondering…I heard mum talking about it with Professor Dumbledore and are you really a spy for the Light in your world? You impersonate the death eaters?"

Severus sneered, especially at the way the boy's eyes lit up in excitement as he asked this question. As if he wanted to make the hell he was currently sitting in worse by thinking about his years of service under a madman. After several minutes of both Severus and Harry stubbornly refusing to move the conversation forward, the potions master bit out a short "Yes."

When the boy continued to watch him expectantly, he scowled more deeply and, figuring satisfying the brat's curiosity might get him to leave him in peace for a while, said, "It is nothing exciting or adventurous, whatever you seem to think. It is nothing to idolize or consider 'cool.' It is a curse and a miserable job I must continue to do, with very little reward aside from a lifetime supply of Albus' lemon drops."

"That bad, huh?" Harry said quietly, but when Severus glared at him, the boy wore a grimace and seemed to have been talking to himself. The boy did, at least seem to be taking his words to heart, for which he was somewhat gratified, if only for the fact that it would no doubt shorten this conversation. He did notice, however the boy's green eyes glinted in amusement at his reference to Albus' sweet fix. Harry looked up at him, his face quickly sobering entirely and he said, quietly, "I…see. I admit, sir, that I hadn't truly considered it. Dad told me some of what happened to him when he…well, before he defected, but he's always been pretty vague."

"For good reason."

"I can imagine. Well, I guess I can't really because I haven't experienced it, but I can see it's a hellish situation to be put in and it takes a lot of guts. So, uh, sorry for bringing it up."

Severus was again somewhat stricken by the boy's genuine sincerity and found himself muttering, before he could stop himself, "It is no matter."

For a time after that, they simply sat there in silence, but it wasn't as awkward a silence as Severus would have expected with a son of the loudmouthed James Potter. In fact, the boy seemed quite content to sip at his tea and look around idly. From time to time, traitorous curiosity would prove too overwhelming and Severus would find himself taking glances at Harry over the rim of his teacup. He sneered at the familiar, hated messy mop of hair and the…he blinked, suddenly realizing the round-rimmed Potter glasses he so despised were nowhere to be seen. How could he have missed that?

Rather than being veiled as usual, the brat was steadily watching him with those damn, now conspicuously uncovered, green eyes. With a jolt, it occurred to Severus that without those bloody glasses, the boy didn't look so much like James Potter after all. Not just his eyes, but his nose and mouth were pure Lily. As for his mannerisms and behavior…from what he'd seen, there wasn't as much of the old James Potter arrogance, than more of a light self-deprecating humor and easy manner which was much more like an odd mixture between Lily and…himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to rid himself of that thought.

When he looked up again, Harry was still watching him evenly, though one eyebrow was raised in polite inquiry. Severus grimaced, and to avoid thinking about how often he himself displayed that mannerism, said, "Finally tired of the James Potter fashion-statement, then? Don't tell me the glasses have been for show all this time…For I must say, I wouldn't buy into that."

To his surprise, rather than glaring defiantly, Harry laughed outloud and Severus vaguely registered, unbidden, that the boy sounded like Lily when he laughed-clear and honest sounding.

"No, I wouldn't either. That's why I got contacts. Not sure why James never did…from what I've heard, he was pretty concerned with appearances."

"Ah, but James Potter was proud of his ability to woo half the school even with those insufferable wire rims around his eyes. I daresay he thought it some kind of inane challenge."

Harry bit his lip, aware that Severus were probably suggesting that he, himself, was the product of such 'wooing,' but then just shrugged and said lightly, "You're probably right."

Snape stared at him, but Harry then jumped up to grab a book from the shelf before soon returning to his previous spot across the table. Severus very nearly barked at him not to touch his things before realizing that, in reality, the books belonged to the boy more than to him. _What a nightmarish thought..._

After several minutes of Harry completely ignoring his fierce glare while extracting quill, ink and parchment, and beginning to pore over the book, Severus growled "Don't tell me you intend on sitting here all night, boy. Perhaps it hasn't hit you, but your presence is not, in fact, so extraordinary that all on this planet should feel honored by it. Why not go play with your little girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend, sir? I'm afraid I don't have one," Harry replied evenly, ignoring the barbs. "But I'll leave soon. I just need to finish reading this one passage on Alcodite. You see, Dad doesn't like me to take his more valuable journals out of the quarters."

"Must you sit here while you read it?"

Harry simply looked at him with an air of such insufferable calm that Severus wondered if Albus hadn't given him lessons. Severus then found wondering the same thing. Why was he continuing to suffer the brat's presence? Couldn't he, himself, leave to sit in his labs? Or the bedroom? But he didn't want to feel kicked out by him, certainly...and, a small part of him whispered, he was somewhat curious about this boy who, despite his being the spawn of James Potter, had been raised by him and Lily…

And so he grabbed himself another shot of firewhisky and settled back to read his own Potions journal, occasionally glancing at the boy as he chewed absentmindedly on his quill before scribbling determinedly at his parchemnt. A very small smile tugged at the corner of Severus' lips at the gesture he had so often seen Lily make when she pored over Potions research in their school years. He quickly schooled his features back into a look of solid disdain.

It hit him, though, as he watched him, how much more comfortable in his own skin this boy appeared as compared to the Potter he knew. Harry Potter was a bundle of nerves and a apoplectic mess compared to this self-assured, moderately intelligent young man before him. Was it simply the absence of Lily that had led Harry Potter to turn out as he had? Or had he…that is, his counterpart, had something to do with how Harry Snape (Severus blanched as he enunciated the name, even internally) had turned out? It was certainly not where he would have wanted his thoughts to drift, and yet, he found himself considering it despite himself.

What exactly had Harry Potter's life been like? And Harry Snape's? Once again, that damn messy-haired boy-who-lived-to-confound-his-existence was infesting his thoughts like a parasite, sucking away any possibility of him exploring a worthwhile train of thought.

Eventually, the boy stood up and Severus finally looked up after feeling no longer able to avoid the gaze he felt beating down on him. Harry smiled slightly when their gazes met, and he said, quietly, "I hope you come home with us, sir. I will do my best to stay out of your hair. I swear it," he added with a light chuckle.

Severus didn't say anything, but just regarded the boy warily.

"Anyway, I'll be around. Nice talking with you."

The boy was walking toward the door when Severus remembered he did have something he wanted to say. "Er, Potter, I mean…"

"Harry. Just Harry," he responded lightly, smiling.

"Right. _Just Harry_ Just as you are _just the boy-who-lived," _Severus said dryly.

"The boy who what?" Asked Harry, looking at him in genuine confusion.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Are you daft, boy? You and that bloody famous sca-…" and he trailed off, for he, for the first time, noticed the absence of something he should have noticed long before. Without paying attention to what he was doing, he stepped closer to the boy, and reaching out, lifted the fringe of his messy hair, and stared. Under the black bangs, the boy had an entirely unblemished forehead. The lightning-shaped scar was nowhere to be seen.

"Um, sir? Is there something wrong?" Harry asked, staring at Severus in shock.

Realizing that he was still staring at the boy's forehead, his hand clutching his bangs, Severus instantly drew back and mumbled "No. I just…thought I saw something."

At Harry's suspicious look, he bit out. "Now is not the time. You'll likely hear about it later, but suffice it to say it does not concern or effect _you_."

To his surprise, Harry simply nodded in silent understanding, his eyes open and trusting. "Okay, then. I'm sure I will." He began to turn before saying, "Oh, and sir? Perhaps you should take this." He slipped a vial of light orange liquid on the table before him, explaining, "Dad and I made this together. It's a non-addictive draught for good dreams. I promise it has no unpleasant side effects."

His insatiable curiosity piqued, Severus uncorked the draught and smelled it, looking at it closely in the light before stopping it up again. He narrowed his eyes at Harry. "And I should trust you why?"

A twinge of hurt flashed briefly through Harry's eyes, but he looked at him seriously. "I suppose that's your prerogative. If it would help you to trust it, I'd take some right now, but you might have to escort me to Gryffindor tower, so..."

At the look of absolute horror on Severus' face at that statement, Harry laughed outloud.

"Okay, okay. Fine. How about this, then? You know I wouldn't hurt mum, right? Take some before bed and ask her to have a sip. I know it's one hundred percent safe."

After studying him for a time, Severus nodded once and pocketed the vial.

Harry again began to leave, but Severus blurted out, "Po-uh, H-Harry. Perhaps I have treated you somewhat…unfairly." The words tasted sour in his mouth, but once out, he left them hanging there rather than take them back and risk further embarrassment and uncharacteristic behavior. He would NOT let the boy have such an effect on him!

Harry simply watched him with a pleased, quiet smile. "I appreciate that, but you have nothing to apologize for. If I were in your shoes, being whisked off to another world like you have been…I'm not sure. I probably would have hexed a few people, though!"

Severus only realized he was chuckling a second too late to disguise it as anything else. Biting his lip, he curtly nodded and said, "Well? Don't you have studying to do? Go back to your dorm now."

Harry grinned so widely at him at this, that Severus immediately felt his alarm bells going off. Had he inadvertently said something damning? Thinking back to it, he cursed. Without meaning to, he'd been speaking to the kid like a …curse it all…parent! What the bloody hell?

"See you Severus!" The boy called cheerfully as he slipped through the door.

Severus gawked at the boy's impertinence. How dare the brat call him by his given name without permission? But before he could voice his annoyance, Harry was gone.

* * *

><p>So...shorter chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it, nonetheless! Sorry for the wait! I hope Sev stayed in character overall, and that it was believable how he somewhat accidentally melted near the end...what did you think of AU Harry? Let me know! And next time, we're back to the Canon world to check on how Harry and Au Sev are getting along!<p>

As always, your comments are SO appreciated. You all have helped me so much to find my bearings with this story. I love you guys! Please continue to review!

Thanks so much!

tess4aria


	7. Don't Let Fear Master You

**Chapter 4: Don't Let Fear Master You**

_**Canon World**_

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><p>I am so sorry for taking so long on this update! School has started back and so updates may be a little slow-coming for a while, but stay with me! I have too many ideas to give this story up ;) Again, thank you so much for your wonderful, inspiring and encouraging reviews! You guys are the best!<p>

Harry Potter belongs to J.K.

_**Please R&R! Thanks so much!**_

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><p>o O o O o<p>

When Harry stumbled back through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, he was met by a high-pitched squeal and very familiar bushy brown and shocking red hair as Hermione and Ron landed into him (though Ron slightly less enthusiastically).

"Harry! Where have you been? We were getting so worried when you didn't return after an hour!"

Harry blinked and smiled tiredly at his overprotective friend. "Oh, hey Mione. Sorry about that. I didn't realize how much time had passed."

They both looked at him oddly, and then Ron knocked him in the head with his knuckle.

"Ow! Ron, what the bloody hell was that?"

"Good. Just making sure you weren't broken, mate."

"Huh?"

Hermione was smiling now, and he felt quite unnerved suddenly.

"So? Who is she?"

"W-what?"

Hermione winked, and Ron sniggered. Harry had the feeling that they were really reading something out of nothing, but he was too confused to figure what exactly they were on about.

"Come on, mate, you've been brooding all week and then you come in here grinning like it's nobody's business, and then we talk to you and you act all dazed and spacey! So? Is she hot?"

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded him, slapping him on the arm.

Harry choked as it finally hit him. "You guys…oh my god, no. That is definitely not even CLOSE to what I have on my mind!"

"Oh? Well then, what is it, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously, ignoring Ron who deflated slightly. "You just seem to be in such better spirits suddenly. I'm glad for it, whatever's happened." She smiled genuinely at him and he couldn't help smiling back, despite his embarrassment.

"Oh, it's er, not much, really." He gave them a very fake grin that he knew wasn't fooling them for an instant, but what could he say? 'Oh, yeah guys…so, apparently, Snape has been switched with a Snape from another reality who is completely different-actually the complete polar opposite of the Snape we know and despise…and this different anti-Snape wants to rescue me from the Dursleys and apparently wants to go scare the shit out of them this summer…oh, and did I mention that in his world, he's married to my mum and adopted me? And now he's acting all interested in getting to know me? Yeah, how weird is that?"

"Pretty weird," Ron said. "So, what's really up?"

Harry stared at him for a minute before it dawned on him. "I, er…said that outloud, just now?"

They both nodded, and he groaned, collapsing on a couch and burying his head in his hands.

"Wait, wait, wait…Harry, mate…you don't mean…" Ron began, but when Harry looked up, looking very lost and confused, and nodded, he yelled out an emphatic "Bloody hell!" And then he, too, collapsed on a squishy armchair, looking even more horrified and confused than his best friend.

Hermione, on the other hand, looked thoughtful, and not entirely disgusted by the whole idea.

"Hm. Are you sure about that, Harry? Well if so, that's cross-dimensional travel, isn't it? I _have_ heard of it. Harry, do you know how Professor Snape was sent here?"

"Severus," Harry corrected automatically.

"Excuse me?"

Harry blushed but muttered, "Oh, uh, well, I think of him as Severus. It's how I keep him straight in my head. I'm telling you, Mione, he's nothing like the Snape we know. So he's Severus. He told me I could call him that, anyway. Like, listen to this…" He quickly cast a belated privacy spell. Luckily, no one appeared to have been around to hear the first, rather damning, part of his confession, "He actually talked to me about quidditch and asked if I'd like to play one-on-one with him sometime! Does that sound like Snape to you guys?"

At this, Ron snapped his head up and stared at Harry like he was insane.

"Mate, you're sure you heard him right? Like…he wasn't telling you he wanted to take _away _your quidditch privileges in code?"

Harry laughed. "I'm serious, Ron. He's a completely different person. I mean COMPLETELY. And this isn't a load of bollocks, because Dumbledore gave him Veritaserum and he told us about himself under it, so…yeah. But anyway, the only thing remotely Snape-like about him is that he can still give one hell of a glare. But in this case, he only glared when he was talking about the Dursleys…oh, and he smirked when he was talking about the 'talk' he wanted to have with them."

By this point, Harry was grinning fit to burst, and even Ron couldn't help but grin along with him. He hated the greasy git, as he so unaffectionately referred to their resident Potions Master, but the thought of that venom and vitriol being turned on the gits who had locked his best friend in his room with prison bars on the window was quite appealing.

"Okay, I must admit, I would love to see those muggle prats get what's coming to them. Think Snape'll turn em into Potions ingredients?"

"Ron! Really, Professor Snape would never-" but she trailed off as she noticed how, for the first time since Sirius' death, Harry looked happy, and carefree. He was laughing and joking and plotting, like any other 15-year old around.

"I'm happy for you, Harry," she said softly, and Harry looked at her, surprised, before hesitantly cracking a smile in her direction. He then resumed discussing his fantasies with Ron about retaliation-at-the-Dursleys-via-Snape.

_I just hope this doesn't backfire and hurt Harry even more. He's been through too much, and this…Severus…he won't be here forever. At least, I don't think he will. Poor Harry. All he's ever wanted is a family, and then here comes someone who has swooped in to take up that role…but he's only here temporarily. If he and Harry get close, won't it just hurt Harry more when he leaves and the cruel, cold Snape returns?_

But Hermione shook her head, for she also knew that to Harry, it would mean the world to have such a chance. The chance to really experience the love of a parent for a child. He deserved it so much, and he wanted it so much. Maybe, just maybe, this could turn out to be a good thing…

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><p>o O o O o<p>

Ron, Hermione and Harry were heading out to catch some breakfast before doing some last minute studying when they ran into the man who had been occupying their thoughts since the previous night. They all gawked. They couldn't help it. For walking towards them, with purpose, through the otherwise empty hallway, was a gently _smiling_ Severus Snape, his hair no longer greasy, but smooth and tied at the nape of his neck in a low ponytail.

"Good morning, you three," he greeted them, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Ron stared, unashamedly, his mouth hanging open, and Hermione wasn't much better, though she managed to squeak a "Good morning, sir!"

Severus gave her a smirk for her efforts before turning to Ron and grinning evilly. "Mr. Weasley, if you're trying to catch wasps in your mouth, might I suggest you indulge in a honey-cake beforehand?"

At this, Ron snapped his mouth shut, but continued to stare, but Severus then noticed a glint of something like comprehension in the boy's gaze before his eyes widened and he returned to gawking even more wildly at him. Severus rolled his eyes, but steered the three into an empty classroom, quickly putting up privacy spells before turning back to them. "So. Am I to assume Harry has shared recent events with you two?"

Harry blushed slightly. "I didn't intend to, sir. I…they kind of…well, they heard me muttering to myself and, er…"

"Believe it or not, Harry, I'm not too fussed. I know you, and the day you would keep something like this from your best friends is the day Lord Moldywart signs up to volunteer at a muggle retirement center. Hm. On second thought, perhaps that analogy is somewhat extreme..."

This earned him stares, gapes, looks of awe and appreciation and then, finally, raucous laughter.

"L-lord Moldywart! Severus, that's brilliant!" Harry felt as if his face were on the verge of exploding from his overenthusiastic grin.

"So glad you think so," he smirked. "To be fair, though, Harry thought up that one."

An awkward silence filled the room almost instantly, and Ron and Hermione exchanged glances before looking somewhat worriedly at their friend. Harry seemed to take it in stride, however, and simply nodded.

"Sounds like I'd like the guy." Then he grinned. "Do I sound like a narcissist saying that?"

Hermione giggled at that, and found herself wondering about how incredibly odd it was to find her sense of humor aligning with Severus Snape's for once. He, too, seemed to appreciate Harry's comment and was chuckling softly.

"You, Mr. Potter-Snape, are the world's biggest narcissist. I've been saying so for years."

Harry and Severus froze, gazes meeting. "I'm sorry," Severus muttered quickly. "I just…that's what I call…"

"I understand," Harry said softly.

"I do, you know, realize you are someone else, Harry. It will just take me some time to change my habits."

"I understand, Severus," Harry said again, more firmly and genuinely. And he really did. But in all honesty, at the moment, he hardly cared who Severus saw him as. He was so open and fun to talk to. Harry could easily trick himself into believing he really had known the man for years…He reminded him of a more sarcastic Remus Lupin to be honest…

Suddenly, he felt a pinch of anger and regret that he couldn't have had this earlier. Why had he been shoved off on the Dursleys when he could have lived with…but no. The Snape in this world wasn't the same. Severus came from a world where his mother was still alive. He felt momentarily awed by the thought that his mother's survival had apparently been responsible for such drastic changes in the man he thought he had known for years. _For her to have such an effect on him, he really must care for her_, Harry thought, blushing slightly at the thought.

But then Harry felt his envy escalating once again. That lucky Harry Potter-Snape had clearly grown up surrounded by love and good parenting. He had been raised by Severus and by the mother Harry Potter would never have the chance to know, and while he would never give away the pride and love he felt for his parents, James and Lily, and their sacrifice...to have been raised in a nurturing environment…

He didn't realize he was clenching his fists and once again wearing his emotions on his sleeve until he heard Ron and Hermione talking to him worriedly. He didn't meet their eyes. He was suddenly really not in the mood to answer their questions with fake cheerfulness.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger. You two go ahead. I'll make sure Harry makes it to join you later."

"But sir!" Hermione started, but Severus silenced her with a hand motion.

"Thank you, Ms. Granger, but I can handle things from here. Go ahead. If Harry doesn't meet you in the great hall, he'll meet you later on to study. Is that clear?"

"Oh, um, yes professor," Hermione said hurriedly, and Ron echoed her in a mumbled "Yessir."

As soon as they had left the room, Harry felt some of the tension in his body relax, despite the fact that the catalyst for all his confused thoughts was still there. Regardless, he didn't feel so bothered anymore. Maybe Severus understood…or maybe he didn't, but Harry still found his presence inordinately comforting for some reason.

"Come along, Harry," the silky voice said calmly, and Harry barely registered as a gentle but firm hand on his arm directed him down the castle stairs and through darkened corridors.

Harry only regained his directional awareness when he noticed they were walking through the dungeons.

"S-sir?"

Severus gave him a very small smile and stopped before a painting depicting what looked like a water serpent in a fathomless black ocean. Harry thought he could hear something, and stared when he realized the serpent was hissing. Very quietly, he could hear the Serpent singing to itself, and laughing as it danced in the water, with a chorus of "_What a joy to be free, no one to stop me, and all around me, the embrace of the sea." _Harry smiled at that. It was so reminiscent of his own thoughts while flying that he couldn't resist hissing back, quietly, "_Much as it is to be free as a bird, flying enveloped in warm gusts of wind."_

The serpent stopped abruptly and swam closer to fix Harry with an inquisitive stare. _"You…are a speaker?"_

"_I am," _Harry confirmed, grinning. He couldn't help it. He knew parseltongue was a skill he had due to Voldemort, but he loved it nonetheless. _"I was enjoying your song, sea serpent. I hope to hear it again sometime."_

The serpent seemed to be smiling. There was a glittering, amused intelligence in his wide eyes. _"Likewise, young serpent-speaker. I would like to hear more about this embracing wind. Come visit me again, yes?"_

"_Absolutely."_

Harry turned to see Severus watching him with a fathomless expression, though his lips were set in a way that clearly indicated shock.

Harry cocked his head questioningly, wondering why the man seemed so surprised that he could speak Parseltongue. And then he frowned, his eyes widening in shock, when it hit him. Harry Potter-Snape, the lucky bastard, wasn't even the boy-who-bloody-lived.

* * *

><p>o O o O o<p>

Deciding to push aside his shock and satisfy his curiosity at Harry's telling talent later, Severus broke their gaze and pushed open the revealed door after speaking the password (bezoar) and touching his hand to a sensor on the portrait. At the same time, Harry forgot his own startling realization as he stared in shock at the chambers before him.

His first reaction was that they were not nearly as dark and creepy as he had expected. Especially considering these were the chambers of this world's Severus Snape. It wouldn't have surprised him one bit that Severus would live in a place full of tasteful mahogany furniture and beautiful dark emerald arm chairs, with a wide selection of books that didn't look all dark, and soft, warm lighting throughout, but it was something of a wake-up call to realize that the Snape he knew (or thought he knew, he now considered) lived this way. A normal way. Like a real human being.

"Hm…it really is too depressing in here without her touches," Severus mused.

"Hm? What do you mean, Severus?"

Severus smiled at him. "Oh, sorry. Mostly talking to myself. It's just…I share my own chambers with Lily, and so…they're much brighter and more cheerful than these. This place is lonely without her, is all."

It took Harry a moment to digest that, and then he swallowed the lump in his throat and managed an "O-oh. Sorry, sir. You must, er…miss her."

Severus instantly looked down, sharply, at Harry and noticed the boy's discomfort. He felt completely ashamed of himself. How dare he act like that, making Harry feel compelled to comfort him for being away from Lily for such a short time when the boy had hardly a memory of her?

Gently, he put a hand on Harry's back, satisfied when the boy didn't flinch, and softly said, "I do. But enough of that for now. We'll have plenty of time to talk once we're more comfortable. Tea?" He then asked, steering Harry into the kitchen as he did so.

"Uh, sure."

A few minutes later, a pot of lightly sweetened blackberry sage tea and a plate of lightly toasted raisin scones and clotted cream were positioned between the two, and they were soon quite happily tucked in.

"This is so good," Harry commented as he bit into his second scone, the tense atmosphere of earlier having completely vanished. "How did you know-oh. Never mind."

Severus smiled wryly up at him. "In the case of food, Harry, I don't think my extra knowledge is such a handicap. At least you know I won't give you anything you're going to spit up."

"Unless you're trying to get back at me for something," Harry threw back.

"Well, you know me. I am a Slytherin. Not much I can do about that," he smirked, grinning evilly.

"The hat tried to put me in Slytherin, you know, so don't think that scares me, Severus!" Harry smirked right back at him.

"Honestly?" Severus asked, genuinely curious. Harry nodded and he smiled slightly.

"Well, there's another difference. Because I know for a fact that the Harry I raised was not offered a chance in Slytherin."

"Oh really? Where did the hat offer him?" Harry asked, leaning over the table conspiratorially.

Severus grinned, a slightly mean, mischievous grin that made him appear years younger, and whispered, "Hufflepuff."

* * *

><p>o O o O o<p>

It was an hour later when Harry finally went to join Ron and Hermione out by the Black Lake. Severus had told him that he had spoken to Dumbledore the previous day and he was considering his proposition for Harry's summer plans, and that he would get back to them soon. Though Harry was anxious to badger Severus to make sure things were in order, he wasn't overly concerned. He wasn't sure whether it was wise, only having truly broken the ice with the man the day before, but he trusted Severus to do what was best for him, and to fight for him, even against Albus Dumbledore.

He had truly had a nice time with Severus that morning. After tea and scones, they had retired to the black leather couch and Severus had asked him about his classes-his favorite subjects, worst classes, which tests had gone how, etc… He seemed both amused and somewhat sad to hear how much Harry disliked potions. Severus was adamant that if Harry put a little more work into it, that he was perfectly capable of excelling in the subject. Harry didn't ask how he knew. It was quite obvious, after all, and its initials were HJPS.

Severus had let him borrow a muggle novel, Aldous Huxley's _Island,_ but warned him not to let it interfere with his studying, as, though OWLs had ended before the whole DOMs fiasco, he still had two more finals to take (Potions and Charms). He had then spent some time reviewing with Harry, and though Harry tried to argue that he didn't want to cheat, Severus assured him that after having been given such an unfairly handicapped education in Potions to that point, reviewing the basics of Potions-making with him was the least he could do. And Harry had to admit, Severus was a good teacher (completely unlike Snape, he was patient and explained things at a good pace, and clearly), and he actually found himself enjoying thinking about the subject more once he understood why it was so important to be exacting with clockwise vs. counterclockwise turns and the timing and shape of ingredients.

As Harry left the dungeons clutching his book, he felt strange, but a little giddily rebellious taking it, knowing that this particular copy actually belonged to the snarky Severus Snape of this world, and could hardly wait to sit down and read it. In truth, he was a pretty thirsty reader. He just had to be interested and he needed to be self-motivated. He didn't respond well to being told what to do all the time…something he had a feeling had its roots in his time with the Dursleys.

Severus had also informed him that he would be able to enter his chambers by talking to his Sea serpent friend, and that he should feel free to do so any time, which Harry was pleased to hear, though he blushed as he nodded his understanding.

It was odd, Harry thought, how quickly he'd softened to the man, and how rapidly he'd found himself seeing him as some sort of…well, like the way he saw Remus and Sirius. He wasn't going to go any further than that…but saying that, he already knew he was in deep. He cared about Severus, and knew he was growing dangerously dependent on a man he'd only known for several days, but he couldn't help it. He was just so unused to someone genuinely opening himself, his life, his home and his books up to him like this.

In only a few days, Severus had offered to do more than anyone else ever had about the Dursleys. And at the same time, he didn't pry into the specifics, or push Harry to talk about what he wasn't comfortable with. He just seemed to understand without being told, and Harry almost found himself wanting to confide in him some of his more painful memories...and perhaps someday he actually would. The thought was still too difficult for the time being, though.

Harry grinned to himself as he thought about what Severus had promised him. The Potions Master wasn't just going to talk to them. He had assured Harry that if he had to go back for two weeks, that he, Severus, was going to stay and _make sure _the Dursleys stayed in line.

Harry didn't know whether he was more embarrassed or touched by this gesture. But one thing was for sure. He was relieved to think he didn't need to prepare his body for starvation mode for the rest of the week.

Severus had also let him know that, after talking with Albus, he realized he had to continue to hold up the impression that he abhorred Harry when they were around other students, particularly, he admitted with some regret, the Slytherins. After all, Snape of this world was still a spy, parading as a death eater, and regardless of what Severus had chosen to do differently in his life, he had to play the part while he was here in his counterpart's body.

Harry had been more than a little unnverved when Severus had told him this, and he had to admit he was very worried for the man. How could such a nicer person be a good enough actor to fool, not only the Death Eater kids, but if what he said was true and he had to take up where Snape left off and act as the Order's spy, Voldemort as well? He had to convince them all not only into believing him to be this world's Severus Snape, but the whole death eater thing as well. It was nerve-wracking to say the least, and though Severus did a perfectly good job of ignoring him and sneering at him during their last class as he passed out exams, he was terrified of what might happen when he was called by Voldemort...

Which is why Harry found himself panicking one night when he noticed Severus jump up from the staff table at dinner, exchanging a meaningful look with Albus, and throwing a fleeting one at him, before taking off.

Harry knew that sleep would be impossible that night, and knew most of all that he didn't want to have to talk to anyone, and so he found himself sneaking down to Severus' chambers under his invisibility cloak, the Sea Serpent letting him in without question, though eyeing him curiously. Harry then began to pace back and forth, vetoing the idea of going to Dumbledore to demand he not force Severus to do this...for that would only end in him being forced back to Gryffindor tower, no doubt. And so, for what seemd like hours, he read the same lines over and over from his muggle novel, cradling a cup of tea in his hand he was too nervous to drink. He had prepared another cup for Severus, without sugar, and had cast a warming charm on it to keep it pleasant for the man upon his return. Like that, he waited.

It occurred to him the irony that Voldemort seemed to have decided to block him from his visions right when he, Harry, was desperate to see what was happening. He felt so useless this way, attempting to ignore the pulsating, almost constant pain in his scar, aware of Voldemort's anger and yet unable to glimpse what was really happening. He didn't know if Severus was in pain, or fine or…no. He couldn't let himself think that way. He wasn't the only one who didn't want Severus to die, after all. Severus had his own family to return to. How awful would it be if he were killed simply in an effort not to lose his cruel counterpart his side-job?

Just as his thoughts began to flow down this dark, resentful path, the floo went off, and Severus stumbled from it, much less gracefully than usual.

"Severus!" Harry yelled, and instantly bolted up and steadied him. Severus' eyes were somewhat glassy, and his movements were awkward.

Slightly panicked, Harry gently helped the tall man sit down on the couch and after begging him to let him help, he ran to the storeroom to gather several potions vials. Returning, he crouched beside him and handed him the different potions, wincing as he realized what each was.

First, a simple pain relieving potion, then, and this is what panicked Harry, an anti-cruciatus curse potion, and then a strengthening draught.

Severus closed his eyes for a few minutes after downing the potions, waiting for his body to absorb them. When finally he opened his eyes, their normal obsidian strength back in full, he let them move over Harry almost hungrily, but with concern darkening them.

"What…are you doing here, Harry?"

"I-I was worried and couldn't sleep. Are…are you okay, Severus?"

Severus smiled softly at him. "I am. Thank you Harry. It seems Voldemort's still not over the whole Department of Mysteries fiasco, so he decided to take it out on us," he said wryly. Then his expression softened and he looked steadily at Harry before saying softly, "I did not expect you to be here, or to do something like this for me, but you were undeniably a big help. You just cut my recovery time by a great deal."

Harry blushed at the praise. "It was nothing…really. I was just, you know…worried. When you were gone, and I didn't know what Voldemort was doing to you, I just…you aren't used to spying like Snape is! What if he'd seen through you?"

Severus watched Harry's indignant expression with amusement and sadness, and then found he couldn't help himself. He leaned forward and gathered Harry in his arms, pulling him almost entirely into his lap, and pushing the boy's head into the crook of his neck.

Harry remained stiff for a moment, but then gradually began to loosen up. When Severus continued to hold him, Harry finally let himself fully relax in his grip and he wound his own arms around the man's back.

"I'm not entirely unexperienced at this, you know, Harry. And I have extrememly strong occlumency shields. Just because I haven't been acting as an active Spy recently doesn't mean I have been sitting passively all these years. I promise you that I am very much capable of doing this. Please do not worry yourself on my account."

Severus felt a shaky nod against his chest and then his heart nearly broke when he realized Harry's whole body was shaking, and a telling warm wetness on his shirt let him know the boy was indeed crying, albeit silently. And Severus had the feeling he wasn't just crying about tonight. If he had learned anything about this tragic, beautiful version of his son, it was that he was not one to reveal his weaknesses to others. He had the feeling Harry hadn't cried in years, and so he could only imagine what his current tears must represent. Certainly, his feelings about the loss of Black, and the unfairness of everything Voldemort had subjected him to, but what else? Severus could only guess, because he didn't yet know this boy. This particular boy.

But he realized with renewed vigor that he desperately wanted to get to know him.

"It's going to be okay, Harry," he whispered, and gently rubbed circles on his back with one hand, letting the other card through his soft, unmanageable hair. At this, Harry truly broke down, and he squeezed Severus more tightly, pressing his face into Severus' shoulder and finally letting out his sobs with a painful, hoarse, wracking sound.

Severus held him that way, caring nothing that the boy in his arms was 15 and not 5, until he fell asleep. Then, gently and carefully, he carried him into the chamber's bedroom, gently set him down in the middle of the large bed, transfigured his robes to pajamas, and tucked him in. He set the boy's glasses on the bedside table and after considering him for a moment, watching the calming rise and fall of his chest, Severus leaned in and kissed Harry gently on the forehead, brushing back his bangs to stare, frowning, at the lightning-shaped scar that marred the otherwise flawless face. Albus had told him some of the boy's history, and how people perceived him as the boy-who-lived, but seeing this proof of Harry's misery up-close made it all the more real to him.

With another frown, Severus considered that he still had much to speak with Albus about concerning Harry.

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><p>Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this! I hope it wasn't too rushed or awkward. I'm not totally satisfied with it, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out anyway. As always, your reviews and advice are VERY MUCH appreciated!<p>

Thanks so much!

tess4aria


	8. Parallel: A World of Differences

**Chapter 4: A World of Differences**

**Parallel World**

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><p>I'm FINALLY updating. No, this story is NOT dead. I really apologize, but this semester has been so busy, I hardly have time for homework!<p>

My updates may be sporadic, but they will come. In the meantime, I have two newer stories that you may want to check out when you have time. My most recent, _If I Could Have Been There,_ is a reverse-Severitus time travel fic reminiscent of the Sev deaging fics, but different nonetheless. Features lots of cute 4-year-old Sev antics. Check it out!

I also have a short Severitus piece, _Not Too Late_, you might check out as well, if you have the time.

Anyway, here's the newest chapter! Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think!

I do not own HP

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><p>How anomalous. A world where James Potter's spawn would sympathize with him, Severus Snape, over everyone's favorite Golden Boy-the arrogant, bullying quiditch star himself. Severus smirked at the thought, squashing viciously any <em>feelings<em> threatening to crop up along with.

As Severus stepped into the bathroom to do his nightly ablutions, he considered how many things there were about this world he was unaware of. Things he would need to know to live in this place for any amount of time. To begin with, what exactly was the Dark Lord up to? Apparently his counterpart had rescued Lily and Ha-_Potter_, he snarled inwardly at his near-slip. And so the boy had never been marked with that absurd scar.

Perhaps that was one way he could rationalize why the boy seemed somewhat more bearable than the Potter he knew. This brat wasn't famous, and so was unused to having people fawning over him.

Severus growled at himself for letting his thoughts wander away from _important _matters to that blasted boy once again!

But so the brat was not the boy-who-lived. Perhaps Longbottom? But no…Har…_the boy _had seemed genuinely confused by Severus' use of the term Boy-who-lived…so perhaps he had been right all along. A prophecy, once made, is not necessarily fulfilled. That fool Dark Lord had unwittingly marked the boy in Severus' world, establishing the grounds to fulfill that blasted seer's words. To think, if only he had left well enough alone. If only _he _had not delivered the prophecy in the first place…

No. He'd spent enough time cursing himself for _that. _Now he was in a different position. A different place. With a whole slough of different concerns. And so, apparently, there was no brat-who-lived here. But the Dark Lord was still around…was he weaker? In hiding? With everything else, Severus had to admit it had slipped his mind. Certainly his counterpart was not a spy. He knew that much.

What other differences were there in the Dark Lord's ranks? The disturbing image of Draco Malfoy and that blasted Weasley boy together flashed through his mind, and brought up even more questions and possibilities.

If the arrogant boy was friends with the red-head, did that mean the Weasleys were less firmly on the side of the light in this world? But no. Impossible. It had to be the other way around. So what of Lucius and Narcissa? Were they even still alive? And if so, did they approve of their son's choices of friends?

Certainly the Lucius he knew would be none too pleased. He smirked at the thought of having to inform Lucius of his son playing a friendly game of quidditch with two Weasleys and a Potter.

Well, Draco Malfoy's social life aside, at least his counterpart no longer posed as a spy for the Dark Lord, so that, in turn, neither did he need to. He very nearly smiled at the prospect of a year-long break. That was one thing he certainly would not miss.

Kissing that insane bastard's robes.

But that brought up another worrying thought. His counterpart, then, would have to take up his mantle as the spy for the Order. Severus wondered if he could manage it. Or should he expect to return to having his position compromised? Not that he could really care less. It wasn't as if being Albus' pet spy was something he enjoyed, but it was his duty. And he did it well.

He only hoped he wouldn't return to only to be killed for his betrayal.

Or…

If his counterpart were killed fulfilling his duties...He wasn't sure how he would feel were that to happen, but it was a definite possibility. Certainly it would be the fool's own fault for involving himself in matters not his own, but no, perhaps that was unfair. It wasn't as if either of them had chosen to switch places, after all.

And then Lily's husband and Potter's…_father…_ would be taken from them. The darkest parts of his heart considered that perhaps he could just stay here were that to happen. Without his counterpart, he would feel free to be with Lily. But…no. He cursed himself for a selfish bastard. He could not wish that on Lily. She was far too good for him. She deserved someone better, and apparently, that someone better was his counterpart.

At least he knew he _could _have been that person. But it was too late, now. He could never be that man.

He could never smile and coddle and nurture and support a family the way _he _apparently did.

He endured. He survived. He took the riskiest assignments and accomplished them. He was the scapegoat. The one everyone hated, and loved to hate. He was nothing like the Severus Snape in this world.

Stepping out of the shower, Snape scowled at his reflection-not so sallow as he remembered, nor so streaked with frown lines. The face seemed to mock him. Judge him for his selfish, evil thoughts.

Scowling ever more fiercely, he changed into his pajamas, but froze when he got into the bedroom. It suddenly hit him that _she_ would be back any second now, if she weren't already. And the last thing he wanted to do was inflict his current state of mind on Lily.

"Sev?" Speak of the devil. Damn.

The light knock ceased and the door opened to reveal Lily, smiling softly, and beautiful as ever. Despite himself, Severus' breath caught and he simply stared at her dumbly.

"All done with the shower? I guess I'll take one then…"

"Oh. Yes." He moved aside awkwardly to let her pass.

She paused and looked at him inquiringly. Seemingly taking in something of his conflicted expression, she nodded in understanding. She took a step closer and lightly brushed his cheek. He gulped.

"I know it's confusing. But we're in this together, okay? I'll be back in in a minute."

Severus nodded, watching the bathroom door close behind her.

He sat heavily down on his bed. Lily made everything so much more complicated, and yet, so much simpler as well. She made him want to accomplish impossible feats, and yet her kindness and generosity were so pure and open that she made him feel as if he could do so.

He wished he could. He wanted to.

As he looked at his bed, he wondered if it were truly appropriate to sleep here. Perhaps he should take the couch tonight. After all, this was Lily's and his counterpart's bed, for all it looked like his.

He was still deep in thought when she returned, toweling off her dark-red hair.

"If you stare at it that way any longer, it just might catch fire, you know," she said, laughing lightly.

Severus snapped his gaze from the bed frame to look at Lily, feeling an unfamiliar warmth in his chest at the laughter in her eyes.

"My apologies," he said stiffly, not knowing what else to say at the moment. "I was…distracted."

"You don't have to apologize, Sev. But why aren't you in bed?"

He stared at her. "I…was not sure you would want me to sleep in here."

She licked her lips and shook her head, smiling sadly. "Maybe I'm not going to want to do much, but I don't want you on the couch."

"You are certain? The idea does not make you uncomfortable?"

"You're still Sev. And I don't sleep well alone. Just…try not to worry about it so much, okay?"

He nodded hesitantly, but pulled down the covers and slipped in nevertheless. She got in next to him and turned on her pillow to look at him. Slowly, he turned to face her.

She smiled and gently rubbed his arm. He flinched and jumped away.

"Sev! What's wrong?"

He wouldn't look at her. For a time, he just gazed, scowling, at the wall, willing her to leave him alone with his dark thoughts. He was a tainted person. He belonged nowhere near this being of perfection. Certainly not in bed with her!

But then soft arms were embracing him from behind and much as he would have liked to, he could not push them away. They lay that way, in silence, for a long while.

Finally, Severus sighed and turned to face her. She was watching him in concern and understanding. And patience. She was impossibly patient.

"I don't know what I'm feeling," he admitted softly. "I don't know how to live here."

"Maybe you just need to try living, Sev. It doesn't sound like you've done a lot of that recently," she said softly.

He snorted and looked away.

"Perhaps." He smiled wryly. "If I even know what that means any longer." He looked at her with a strange glint in his eye. "The Severus you knew died with your counterpart, Lily. I'm not him. I no longer have the capacity to be him."

But she just watched him steadily, still smiling calmly in a way which reminded him, annoyingly, of her son, and how he had been so imperturbable as they sat across from each other at the kitchen table.

"You don't have to be him. I'm not asking that. I'll never ask that. You aren't the same person, and I don't wish for you to be. All I ask…" she smiled at him again. "All I ask is that you let us know just who you are. I'd like to get to know you for you, if you're willing. And, at some point, I'd like you to let Harry get to know you. I'd like you to give him a chance. You really don't know him, after all."

Severus bit back the annoyance at the mention of the boy. He knew she was right, little as he wanted to admit it. "I…realize I do not know him. I shall see. I shall…try."

"That's all I ask." She gently brushed his cheek again, and he grasped her hand for a moment, closing his eyes and leaning into the generous warmth before releasing it.

"He…came by this evening."

"Yes. He mentioned he might. I was a little worried at first, but Albus convinced me to stay back and let him talk to you. Said he needed to do it without me hiding in the shadows."

Severus sneered. "You certainly don't need to worry about the boy. He seemed quite comfortable."

"Yeah. He's pretty well-adjusted, though I can't imagine why, what with us as parents," she chuckled, and then froze, biting her lip.

They looked at each other for a moment, and then she said, quietly, "Sorry. It's hard to keep straight sometimes."

"I can imagine so. Do not worry yourself on my account. It is an adjustment for both of us."

"Why don't we go to sleep, Sev? We can worry more tomorrow, but for now…don't worry so much about your place here. You're with me. That's what matters. In a few days, we're going home, and then you can take all the time you need. Okay? Let me take care of you for a bit."

He stiffened at that, but then relaxed as her earnest expression and the sincerity in her eyes washed over him. He nodded.

For a while longer, his conflicting thoughts kept him stubbornly awake but eventually, Lily's soft snores soothed him into one of the few restful sleeps he could remember.

* * *

><p>The next day he found to be full of trials and tribulations. That was due, in part, to his determination to administer exams to his classes, despite Lily's suggestion he skip out.<p>

But apparently, in this world, the little brats weren't used to a professor making sure they kept a toe in line. Well, too bad.

By the end of the day, Gryffindor had lost a solid 150 points, and objections were ringing up around the school. It was music to his ears, in that it was familiar.

His fifth-year Gryffindor-Slytherin class was most eventful. This, he was used to, as any class with Potter usually was. _But damn it, he isn't Potter here_!

That had caused a slight uproar at the beginning of class. Only Harry-_Potter_-who knew what was going on, seemed to find the whole thing amusing, and was moderately unperturbed. The rest of the class seemed shocked by their professor's volatile behavior and tendency to pick on his supposed _son_, he sneered inwardly.

Upon noticing the boy truly did not rise to the bait, however, and that he was obnoxiously knowledgeable about everything he threw at him, Snape just began to ignore him. He did, however, get to take a satisfying number of points off of Weasley when he heard the brat whispering, "Harry, what's your dad's problem? You guys fight or something? And since when has he called you Potter? I thought he hated your step-dad! He must be pretty pissed…he's acting like an old bat-" Ron cut off abruptly at the terrifying figure glaring menacingly at him.

That had been the highlight of that class. The worst part, besides Har-the brat-and his calm, amused demeanor, had been the calculating looks sent his way by Draco. Of course, Snape did not chastise the boy, but he did send him a warning glare. Draco responded with a raised eyebrow before pointedly making eye contact with Harry. At the dark-haired boy's relaxed, seemingly unconcerned posture, however, Draco turned back around and readied himself for class.

Scowling, Snape demanded silence and then made them begin their exams, reveling in swooping around the classroom to ensure the little brats were staying on track. Much to his pleasure, his apparently out-of-character behavior made some of them especially distractible, thus giving him more reason to deduct points.

The Weasley twins' class was also noteworthy. Apparently, the two troublemakers were quite…fond…of his counterpart, and were more curious than put-off by his behavior. Seemingly unconcerned with the large amounts of points he took from them throughout, they still deigned to approach him afterwards to get his advise for their projects. The cheek!

If Snape were to be completely honest, the twins were not complete dunderheads. If only they would put that intelligence towards _in-class_ assignments, and refrain from constant malfeasance, he might even consider them the least detestable of the Weasley brood. As it was, though…

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><p>Due to proctoring exams, Severus did not have a chance to speak to Lily again until the evening. He still had not been able to get sufficient answers to his numerous questions, but things began to turn around when a very unwelcome guest showed up in his quarters.<p>

The wolf.

He flooed in, looking completely agreeable and apparently _happy to see_ Severus. He nearly choked on the thought. What was the inane fleebag thinking?

"What do you want, Lupin?" He growled.

"Severus! Is everything alright? Albus was telling me his theory about your cross-dimensional travel, but it still seems so unbelievable that-"

Severus pounded his fist on the table. "That blathering old coot! Why, pray tell, did he see fit to inform _you _of this?" He sneered.

Lupin seemed quite gobsmacked. Severus smirked. Good to see the Wolf looking moderately perturbed. Bad enough to have an imperturbable Potter.

Remus schooled his features and a look of thoughtfulness came over him. Finally, he said, "Severus? So, it is true, then? You aren't our Sev?"

The snide response he had prepared lodged in his throat as the Wolf's terms of address hit him. "What did you just call me?" He hissed, his voice dangerous.

_No one. No one had ever…nor WOULD they ever…call him that but Lily. That was the nickname she gave him when they were children and to hear it so…flippantly cast around…_

Remus could see that something had struck a nerve, and he quickly made to fix the situation. It wasn't that he hadn't believed Albus, but…well, it had been somewhat unbelievable. But to see this…man…who looked like his best friend but who…truly acted nothing like him. It was quite disconcerting, to say the least.

Nevertheless, Remus was not about to give up on him. He was the same person underneath, after all. "My apologies, Severus," he said sincerely. "I believe we may have had a misunderstanding. I'm afraid I was talking to you as if you were the Severus I know, but…I realize, now, that you are not he. Um, so…"

Severus was scowling at him in slight disgust, but Lupin pushed on, not to be done in so easily.

"Anyway, what I mean to say is…I'm not sure what our relationship is in your world, but-"

Severus snorted.

Lupin watched him in silence before nodding in sad resignation. "I see. I suppose we never made up after school, then?" He said softly.

"Finally, he says something less than inane."

"Ah." Remus nodded. "I am…sorry to hear that. Let me begin by assuring you, then, since you don't know what I've been up to for the past 15 or so years…that I regret, more than I can ever say, how I sat back and let them treat you that way."

"I don't want your pity, _Wolf_."

Remus flinched despite himself. "It isn't pity. I wouldn't pity you, Severus. Never that. But I do respect you. You don't know this, of course, but your counterpart has helped me more than anyone else in my life. It is thanks to him that I have a source of steady income, selling Wolfsbane and others of your creations to the werewolf population. It is thanks to you that I have anything resembling a family. I…" He trailed off, blushing slightly.

"Anyway, I just want you to know that, whatever you feelings for me or…for the me in your world are, I will always want nothing more than to help you in any way I can. My feelings are sincere. Just…if you have any questions, or…need someone to rant to or anything…I'm here. You've done it for me, enough," he said dryly.

Severus stared at him for a long time, letting this information sink in. Finally, he sighed, and as he looked at the sandy-haired man, he noticed for the first time that he looked remarkably less shabby than he had seen Remus Lupin look in recent years. It seemed his counterpart's philanthropic deeds had far-reaching effects indeed. Finally, he gave the man a curt nod, if only to stop his blathering nonsense.

"Thank you, Severus," Remus said genuinely, then reaching out to shake his hand.

Severus eyed the proffered appendage in disgust, as if it might bite him at any second, but then finally conceded and gave his old schoolmate a very quick shake.

Remus beamed, and Severus scowled, and then the man stood up and said, "Ah yes, the headmaster wished to see us once we were finished here. He wants everyone in attendance who is to know about your…predicament."

Severus scowled again, but nodded. It did make sense, despite how abhorrent the thought was, that the wolf would be told about his situation if he were as close to his counterpart as he said.

To think he could ever have been _friends _with Remus Lupin! The thought was just too absurd.

* * *

><p>They flooed through to Albus' office and Severus let his eyes wander around to see Molly and Arthur Weasley (<em>of course they would be here<em>, he groused), Lily (the one bright spot in all of this madness)…and…Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, chatting, apparently amiably, with the elder Weasleys. He had to school his features quickly not to reveal his shock. And then, he was hit with another, far louder shock, as he was addressed by a couple he never thought he would ever hear speak again, though they were not _dead, _so to speak, in his time.

Frank and Alice Longbottom were smiling genially beside Lily. He balked. He couldn't help it.

It was too much. He quickly groped for a chair to slump into, and was, an instant later, assaulted by an enthusiastic drawl. "Severus! Why, you _have_ gotten yourself into something this time, haven't you, old friend?"

He stared, nearly unseeing, at the smirking blond before putting his face in his hands. An instant later, Lily was beside him, offering her quiet, solid support which he was indelibly grateful for.

"God, this world is insane!" He whispered, and she laughed lightly.

"Perhaps, Severus," Albus said, drawing everyone's attention, "It would be most helpful for you to explain to us what you find most confusing so that we can cover cross-dimensional differences more specifically?"

Severus nodded, and sighed. First of all, he looked at the Longbottoms because, despite his shock at seeing such a relaxed and…almost jovial…Lucius Malfoy…it was seeing those two sane which shocked him the most.

He gulped. "The Longbottoms. They…"

"We died in your world?" Frank cut in.

"No…not…not just so…"

Alice bit her lip. "It was bad, whatever it was. Right, Sev?"

He grimaced. _Why did EVERYONE call him that here? Did he look the type to be given a cuddly nickname by one and all? _Then the seriousness of her inquiry hit him and he nodded, slowly.

"Yes. In my world…the Lestranges…" A surprisingly animalistic growl from Narcissa made Severus glance up in surprise. Her fists were clenched, tears were welling in her eyes, and Lucius was comforting her, pulling her to his chest.

"Yes." There really wasn't any way to put it lightly. "They tortured you both…into insanity…using long-time exposure to the cruciatus."

Utter silence met that confession, and then a shaking Alice was being comforted by Frank and Remus. Lily's grip on Severus shoulder tightened, but he didn't mind. He was clenching his fists so tightly he was nearly drawing blood.

"Neville?" Alice whispered.

"He was raised by his grandmother. He is fine, albeit clumsy. He is exceptionally talented in Herbology." He decided to skip mentioning his abysmal performance in Potions, feeling this wasn't the time.

"So…he's okay, anyway? Poor baby…our poor baby," she sobbed quietly.

Before he could stop himself, Severus continued, though he would continued to be surprised by his tact aftewards, "He…has friends. He does not seem miserable. He gets on quite well with Miss Weasley and Mr. Potter…" He broke off, suddenly awkward. "Harry, that is," he clarified.

"Thank you, Severus," Alice whispered, and he nodded curtly.

"Yes, thank you, Severus," Albus said, his voice, for once, devoid of any good humor, his eyes twinkle-less. "Perhaps this would be a good way to lead into differences in our timeline. That should explain the difference circumstances for the Longbottoms."

Severus nodded.

"You see, after James died, you…that is, your counterpart, was able to deliver quite a serious blow to Voldemort, giving you enough time to get to Lily and Harry and apparate them out of there. You brought them to Hogwarts, informing me of what had happened, and giving me your suspicions about who Voldemort would target next. As the prophecy could have applied to Neville, you rightly assumed that he would target them, being unable to get Harry."

"And so, Frank, Alice and Neville went into hiding alongside you, Harry and Lily. In their place, we positioned several Polyjuiced aurors in their house, still warded to prevent suspicion. But when Voldmort attacked, we were ready. Nicolas and I, and some of the best aurors, including the Prewett brothers, were able to cripple Voldemort and his forces severely that night. Many death eaters were imprisoned that night, and Tom Riddle was weakened significantly, though he did escape in the end. The most significant thing that happened, however, was that in the weeks and months after, he lost the trust of many of his most loyal."

"There are many reasons for this. For one thing, he began to rely on greater sacrifices from his death eaters, one being a taking of oaths ensuring the children of his death eaters would be his, indiscriminately, when they came of age. It was around this point, I believe, that Lucius took your example, Severus, and turned to being a spy for the Light, before defecting entirely not long after."

Severus snapped his gaze up to Lucius, who nodded minutely. Severus let that information sink in. "So, it was for Draco, then?"

"Of course. The Dark Lord demanded Narcissa and I perform a ritual which would, in effect, function as a slave bond. It would have taken away Draco's free will, his ability to choose his own way in life. He would have been incapable of being a leader of any sort, or of doing anything other than the Dark Lord's bidding for that matter. I did not want such a life for my son."

"I see. I am…gratified to hear that," Severus said, not entirely realizing he'd said it out loud.

"I suppose I did not make the same choice in your world?" Lucius asked, attempting to sound casual.

"In my world, things are quite different. The Dark Lord was reduced to a wandering soul when he failed to kill Harry Potter. We had 10 years without a sign of him. Nearly 13 years before he conducted a ritual to be reborn. At that point, all those with the dark mark who could plead their continuing loyalty returned to him. Yes, you were one of them. But by that point, Draco was already 14."

"I see…" Lucius said quietly.

"So what is the situation now? The Dark Lord is still alive but is not the force he once was?"

"Just so, Severus. Driven mad by power though Tom Riddle may be, he knows to bide his time until he has the strength to truly make a concerted effort. It is for this reason that his loss of influence amongst the pureblood population was such a disaster for him."

Severus looked up. "Did you use his blood status against him to break trust within the death eaters? How Slytherin of you, Albus."

Albus chuckled lightly. "Thank you, dear boy, but I must say…it was Lucius who was the mastermind behind that one."

Severus rolled his eyes at the blond's smug smirk. "I should have known," he muttered.

Lucius looked mock-offended, "Why, Severus! Certainly you didn't consider I'd be around without contributing to any such brilliant machinations, did you?"

Severus just smirked slightly.

"Well," Albus clapped his hands together lightly. "Did we answer your most urgent questions, Severus?"

"For the moment," he conceded. "I would like more details as to how things have been kept under control, the machinations at the ministry and so on…but that can wait, I suppose."

Lucius looked at him pointedly, and Severus nodded, saying, "I see. So machinations from our side at the ministry have helped then?" Lucius nodded again, and a light stream of chuckles around him made Severus scowl.

Strange as it was, having a Malfoy on their side did seem to make a difference, and yet…it wasn't altogether nonsensical. Lucius and Narcissa did, after all, fawn over their child like no one he had ever seen. If Draco were put at risk, it made sense they might consider defecting, if the opportunity presented itself.

He began to get up and Lucius instantly latched onto him. "Before you go, I need to pick up another few vials for my Dark Mark," he muttered.

Severus stared at him, before muttering, "Dark Marks. How have so many Death eaters defected without their dark marks killing them?"

"Your brilliance, of course, Sev," Lily smiled.

"Another prime example of your skills in Potions, of course," Remus added.

"You see, Severus, you spent much of your time in hiding with Lily and the Longbottoms developing a very special potion. Since then, you have perfected it. It blocks any pain or connection to Voldemort."

Severus gawked at him.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Frank Longbottom added, but Severus could only nod weakly as Lucius pulled him out the door.

"Come on, now, Severus. Let's talk as we walk. I don't care that you aren't your counterpart, you are still Draco's godfather, and I expect you to be in attendance at his birthday celebration this…"

Severus looked weakly at Lily, who just smirked at him unmercifully.

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><p>How did you like Lucius? And Remus? Again, I really apologize for taking so long to get this out, but I hope you enjoyed it!<p>

The next is under way, so you won't have anywhere near the wait you had for this chapter.

Please take a moment to send me a review! Thanks so much!

tess4aria


	9. I'll Protect You

**Embrace Chapter 5**

**Canon World**

See? This didn't take quite as long...As always, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. As we return to the Canon world, we're backing up in time for a bit to get Sev's perspective on things.

Anyway, hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to review! You guys are amazing!

I do not own Sev or Harry.

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><p>Severus POV<p>

In the days surrounding his first hesitant steps towards forming a relationship with Harry, Severus began to acclimate himself to this unfamiliar world. He had had a long discussion with the headmaster in which the old wizard detailed to him the most significant events concerning Voldemort (and Harry's involvement) since that Halloween night.

Coming to understand the gravity of the situation somewhat and how desperately they had come to depend on his counterpart's reports, Severus agreed that they had to be careful not to compromise the spy position. To say he was completely unfazed by the prospect of diving into Voldemort's ranks would be a bald-faced lie, but he had posed as a spy before. And his mistakes from before then would forever be emblazoned on his arm.

But beyond the immediate concern of spying and attending meetings, there were other unpleasant effects of having to play this role. One, in particular, was the need for him to act the part in front of his classes, particularly those with the children of known death eaters in them. They could not risk him slipping up and letting his affection (or even, his lack of distaste) for Harry become apparent.

He could not bear to actually throw any truly vitriolic comments at the boy, however, and so sufficed with just wearing a permanent sneer (which he practiced to perfect in the bathroom mirror beforehand, as it apparently wasn't quite up to his counterpart's standard, as Remus had laughingly informed him, much to Severus' annoyance).

Luckily, all that was left of class time was to proctor exams, and so he was able to get by silently observing his students after handing out tests with a scowl.

Harry sent him a tentative glance as he entered the classroom, and Severus had to steel himself to keep his face lined with solid disdain. He hoped the boy caught the almost imperceptible plea behind it. After meeting his eyes once, Harry looked away and kept his eyes to himself for the rest of the class, so he seemed to have.

Severus received an unpleasant shock he had not expected (though, he realized, he had been warned about-it must simply have escaped him in the midst of everything else) at the looks of loathing he saw exchanged between Draco, Ron and Harry. Harry, for his part, seemed to do his best to ignore the Slytherin, however, simply rolling his eyes and scowling at nothing in particular.

Ron, on the other hand, was as quick to anger as he remembered him, and rose to snarl something at the sneering blond boy. Though he was perfectly aware that Draco had started the conflict by trying to trip up Miss Granger, he scowled and bit out, "10 points, Mr. Weasley! I suggest you sit down if you wish to receive higher than a T on your exam!"

The red-head shot him an angry, shocked look, but he sneered steadily back.

He was particularly grateful, that day, that he had arranged for Harry to drop by his quarters that evening, not just so he could correct any misperceptions his conduct in class may have lent the boy, but that Harry clearly trusted him enough at least not hold their appointment void after the day's unpleasantness.

Severus was further gratified, in the days following, by the simple fact that the boy had taken his offer to heart to stop by his chambers without any prompting which he did on several occasions, giving him the chance to truly get to know him, bit by bit.

But then his first true test came, as his dark mark began to burn one night at dinner in the Great Hall. He made a reflexive grasp for the pocket where he normally kept the vial of red-black potion he would always take in his world when it began to burn, but then remembered that he would have to answer his summons this time.

He caught Harry's look for a fleeting moment, and the panic he saw in those green eyes pained him. But he had to go.

But he did not expect what he found upon his arrival. Yes, he had listened to Albus' explanations of the dark ritual Voldemort had used to regain his body, and was more than familiar with the man's insanity. But he hadn't expected _this_-this monster who was hardly human at all. This Voldemort had reached a degree of insanity he had not been fully prepared for.

He understood, suddenly, a little more clearly, the dire situation this world was in as compared to his own. Of course the monster greeted him with a healthy dose of the cruciatus. And that, too, felt different than those times he could remember suffering it in the past. With this special kind of insanity seemed to come a special lust for causing pain, and that was reflected in the almost incomprehensible degree of pain he felt.

He kept his wits about him. Barely.

He kissed the bastard's robes, and didn't sick up on them. Again, barely.

As the monster legilimized him, he sought out the old memories of the times he had truly, truly despised James Potter as a teenager. He concentrated on that messy mop of hair, and let Voldmort feel the hatred pour through him as the arrogant young man strutted through the hallways.

He was careful not to let slip a memory of the young man turning around to face him, to reveal hazel eyes rather than the expected green.

It seemed to work, but Severus wondered how long he could keep that up before the man became suspicious.

Eventually, they were released, and he was hardly conscious of where he was until suddenly, he'd flooed into his dungeon chambers to be met with a very unexpected, and very welcome, sight.

Harry. Until he had time to sit and down his restorative potions, he had trouble ascertaining just which Harry this was. His green eyes were wide and full of such familiar concern.

But there was an extra layer this Harry showed him-of understanding-that he didn't like. For it was more than just sympathy he felt radiating from him. The boy truly understood what it was like to face that monster…

And as the boy told him of his concerns for him, his fears that he might be seen through-as he felt how much the boy he had known for such a short time already cared for him-he could not help it. He pulled him close, and let the living warmth of the boy sooth him as he tried to offer him some measure of comfort in return. Embracing him, he felt his determination to help the boy reassert itself once again.

* * *

><p>The following day, he confronted Dumbledore once again about Harry's summer arrangements.<p>

"Albus," Severus said as he pushed through the headmaster's door.

"Ah, Severus! Hello, dear boy."

"Have you had time enough to consider my taking Harry?" Severus asked without further introduction.

Dumbledore sighed and then smiled slightly. "I'm still a little wary of this, Severus, but with the Fidelius and other charms in place, I suppose it really should be sufficient protection. You'll floo there directly from my office?"

"Yes, Albus. And thank you." He then frowned. "I suppose the two weeks at the Dursleys must still stand?"

"I'm afraid so, my boy. But fear not, I'm sure Harry can deal with two weeks at a place he isn't completely fond of before moving on."

Severus allowed himself a momentary scowl before eying the old wizard closely, a smirk creeping onto his lips. "I'm sure he can, Albus, but no thanks to you, and no thanks to his miserable relatives. For I, dear friend, will be going home with him."

Albus balked. "You-you what, Severus? I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You heard me. I will not stand for Harry to be thrown, once again, into that veritable lions den without protection! I am not going to stay the entire duration of his time there, but I will certainly make use of my apparent powers of…intimidation…to ensure Harry has a much more…pleasant holiday."

"Now, Severus. Don't be rash. I've already spoken to Harry's aunt and uncle on numerous occasions and I highly doubt they would appreciate-"

"What you highly doubt is of no consequence!" Severus roared, suddenly beyond incensed. "I will not allow my son to be bullied by those ignorant muggles any longer! Fear not, Albus, I'll do nothing to…permanently damage them. Physically that is. But I will bloody well make sure that they keep their dirty fists away from my child!"

Albus was staring at him in what looked suspiciously like pity. It enraged Severus, but before he could snap, Albus made it even worse. "Severus, dear boy, you understand Harry is not technically your-"

"Don't. Finish. That. Statement," Severus hissed, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Because you are dangerously testing my nerves. Harry Potter may not be the boy I raised, but he's my son nonetheless. He's simply my son having grown up with different experiences, and more painful and difficult experiences in almost every regard. You may not believe me, Albus, but I am perfectly aware of who that boy is, and I have news for you. I care for him all the same. So before you try to argue for the greater good, Headmaster, just be aware that you have one very pissed-off father before you. Now choose your words wisely."

Albus looked quite gob smacked, but neither he nor Severus expected the reaction that came next. A few stray tears found their ways down his wizened cheek and into his beard. "Severus, I am…so very, very proud of you."

Severus just stared.

"You have become…such a remarkable man. I always knew you had it in you. I am confident you can help Harry. He so desperately needs a stable presence in his life. Someone to truly talk to."

At this, Severus gritted his teeth. "Yes, I know, and I want desperately to be that for him, Albus, but what happens when I leave?" He said, voicing his worries out loud for the first time. "What if he begins to depend on me too much, as, after all, I won't be here forever. Is it wrong of me to attach myself to Harry? It would kill me to keep away from him, but I will do whatever is best for him." His voice sounded broken as he said it, but for once, he was very glad to hear his old mentor's response.

"I think you underestimate Harry, Severus. Unsurprising, seeing as you've only known him, our Harry, that is, for several days, but I can promise you that he will run with whatever you can give him. Every experience makes him stronger, and he treasures every little moment of happiness and goodness in his life. I think you can make him stronger, dear boy. Perhaps teach him to love himself. That is something I have not had much success in doing, so far," he finished, his words tinged with regret.

Severus considered him for a while before nodding, though it did not sit well with him that Harry had to apparently run with whatever he was given. But before he could address this point, another question burning just below the surface made its way out. "Albus, tell me. If I am to be in this world for so long, I need to hear more about this whole boy-who-lived nonsense. It has to do with the Prophecy, correct? The reason Voldemort came after Harry in the first place. In my world, he didn't manage to get at Harry, for I made it just in the nick of time. Here, though, he…well, you already told me this part…and Harry's curse scar is evidence of the failed avada kedavra?"

"In part, Severus. Even I do not know the extent of it beyond several long-held theories, but that curse scar has shown to be both curse and gift in many ways…"

Nodding slightly, Severus said softly, "The parseltongue. Is that what you mean, Albus? I've been wondering about that ever since I heard him speak it. I must admit I was shocked. My Harry certainly can't speak it as far as I know. Then, catching a glimpse of that curse scar again, I realized they had to be related. Voldemort is a parselmouth, after all."

Albus was nodding, so Severus added, "So Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry?"

"Yes, and in so doing, unwittingly made the Prophecy true. He marked Harry as his equal, and now, Harry must kill him. It is an unfortunate truth, but a truth none-the-less."

Severus stood there, letting this wash over him. "But Albus…Harry's just…he's not even sixteen yet! How can you expect such a burden…and you-how do you even know that that Prophecy is true? In my world, Voldemort was severely crippled almost immediately after failing to kill Harry and Lily by your counterpart, Nicolas Flamel and a group of Ministry Aurors and though he is not dead, he is but a shadow of what he is here. Particularly…"

"Yes, Severus?"

Severus hesitated to tell Albus this next, but regardless of whatever power his admission might give Dumbledore, it was necessary that he speak the truth in this case. "I must confess, I was…somewhat shocked by what I found at that…meeting. In my world he still looks…human, and yet here...the monster you now know as Voldemort-he is insane. Completely and utterly. It was truly a terrifying sight to behold."

He looked Dumbledore in the eye. "That is, you realize, the only reason I am accepting your terms as far as Harry's summer goes. Much as I hate to admit it, I can see the reasoning behind your desire to use every safeguard possible, considering the insanity of Voldemort and his nimrod followers here."

He took a deep breath and scowled. "But perhaps you wouldn't be in this predicament if you weren't so determined to abide by the mighty _Prophecy_." he sneered the word, "Perhaps you would have destroyed him long ago if you weren't so sure that only the boy-who-lived has a chance! I'm sorry, Albus, but I think it's nonsense."

Albus sighed. "Perhaps if Voldmort had not marked him that night, you would be right. But as much as I wish it were not so, Harry bears Voldemort's mark. Regardless of what you believe, Severus, Harry will kill him in the end,"

"Or die trying," Severus ground out.

Albus looked at him, his face grave. "Or die trying," he confirmed softly.

Severus nodded, very stiffly. "I must say one thing I agree with you on, Albus, though it sickens me to use that phrase after you have shown me such a callous web of machinations… Harry will have my support. He will have my care. He will learn what it means to value himself. That I promise."

And with that, he was gone in a flash of robes.

* * *

><p>Finally, it was the first day of summer, and students readied to pile into thestral-drawn carriages to take them to Hogsmeade station.<p>

When most of the students were out of the way, one young man stayed back to talk with his tall, imposing Potions Master, ignored by all those anxious to return home.

"I'll not embarrass you by hovering over you on the train, Harry, but you can expect me upon your arrive at your… lovely relatives' abode. Is that clear?"

"Er, sure, Severus. But…are you sure, that is, do you really want to do this? I don't want you to get in any trouble or-"

"If you don't stop rambling, I just might stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth! Harry, relax, I'm a full-grown wizard. I know what I'm doing and I have plenty of practice keeping my temper in check."

At Harry's raised eyebrow, Severus shrugged and smirked. "Point taken. But honestly, I'm not going to kill them and I'm not going to use any unforgivables. I'm just going to make sure they are aware of the risk of not handling certain…valuables…delicately. Don't concern yourself over the details, child. Just get going and I'll see you there. Do you need some money for the trolley witch?"

At this, Harry blushed bright red, never having been asked anything of the sort. "S-Severus! I have money, I…You don't have to treat me like I'm…"

"Like you're what? Worthy of being treated well? Here. Tell you what. Hold onto this for me." He passed several galleons to a reluctant Harry. "Buy a few extra sweet things. Your choice. Keep a few of them with you, though, as we're going to enjoy them together in peace and quiet once I've had my…say…to your …relatives."

As Harry pocketed the money, grinning abashedly, he suddenly realized he'd been had. "Hey, that was sneaky you Slytherin-" but Severus was already gone.

A scowl on his face, yet inwardly beaming, Harry ran to catch the last carriage waiting.

* * *

><p>The ride home with the Dursleys was just like any other before. A lot of scowling, glaring and vitriolic comments directed at him and his belongings and his owl…along with the usual promises of hours of chores each day if he knew what was good for him, yadda yadda yadda. Harry had long since learned to tune out his aunt and uncle, but when Harry's attention was wrenched back at the words "Freak sister," he only just managed to stop himself retaliating by daydreaming about what Severus had in store for these losers. No doubt the man would not have much patience for comments directed at Lily, either.<p>

Harry had barely passed through the front door when Dudley tripped him and he found himself face-down on his hands and knees, complete with rug burn and once-again broken glasses. Scowling but saying nothing, Harry pushed himself up and feebly tried to reattach his glasses so he wouldn't be blind until he could find some tape…

He had barely stood up when he found himself ducking under a large, meaty fist. "Listen up, boy! Things are going to be different this summer, you hear? No more freaky happenings, no more endangering our Dudders! You try anything and you'll find yourself reacquainted with the right side of my belt faster than you can say 'Freak!'"

Harry didn't say anything, but stooped to drag his trunk with him. He then felt a whoosh of air and turned to see another flying meaty fist heading in his direction. Much to his surprise, and, judging by Uncle Vernon's face, to the surprise of the one throwing the fist, the hand stopped inches from Harry's nose. Suddenly, Vernon was flung backwards against the wall by an invisible force that was clearly choking him. It was an astonishing sight, really, all 350 or so pounds of Vernon pressed up against the wall, three feet from the ground, yanking at some invisible force around his neck. Harry was strongly reminded of scenes in Star Wars when Darth Vader used the Force to strangle someone.

Smiling in sudden understanding, Harry said nonchalantly, "I think that's enough for now. Could I have some help carrying my things?"

And Vernon was abruptly dropped. Screaming, Petunia rushed to her husband, glaring and staring at Harry in shock and fear as she tried to comfort her gasping husband. Dudley had fled the scene, unwilling to be caught by the mysterious invisible force. Then, suddenly, Vernon and Petunia's bodies froze and they were left splayed unceremoniously on the entryway floor as invisible hands lifted Harry's different belongings, flying his trunk and owl cage up the stairs ahead of him.

Before he reached the top, Harry turned around and said, cheekily, "What was that you were saying, Uncle Vernon? That I shouldn't try anything? Why, I would never just…try…" and with a smirk incredibly reminiscent of Snape, Harry followed his invisible ally up the stairs.

Harry opened the padlocked door, and he was sure he heard a scoff, but when they actually entered the pitiful little room and Severus slipped of his invisibility charm, the older man's disgust and disbelief were tangible. "Those…monsters…" he growled, and before Harry could say anything else, Severus had waved a hand, and the room changed dramatically.

The broken, loose-springed ratty bed with a single, paper-thin blanket transformed into a Queen-sized, incredibly comfortable-looking bed with grey sheets and a dark blue comforter. The chair with a broken leg became a rich, mahogany desk-chair and the wardrobe and desk were suddenly in better-than-new condition. The room had magically enlarged, and all evidence of dirt and waste and neglect were gone, leaving a very pleasant, good-sized bedroom.

"Wow," Harry breathed.

Severus spared him a faint smirk. "Minerva would be impressed, don't you think?"

Harry smiled, nodding slightly, and then noticed that his glasses, too, had been mended at some point during this smorgasbord of magic, and he found himself watching things fly around as he soothed the healing salve Severus handed him on his rug-burned hands.

Severus' expression turned stormy as he cast a privacy charm, making it so that the Dursleys wouldn't hear a thing going on within this room, and then, with an angry sound that made him sound more like a feral wildcat than a human, Severus ripped the bars he seemed to have just noticed from the windows with his bare hands.

Harry stared at him in awe but when Severus turned to him, his face crumpled to one of clear, open concern, and the man stooped down before Harry, gripping his shoulders firmly but gently.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Harry looked at his trainers, but Severus seemed to be waiting for something from him, so he finally chanced a look up and met Severus' eyes, which were now strangely pained.

Harry gulped. "Um…is there something wrong?"

Anger flashed through Severus' eyes, and Harry very nearly flinched, but then the target of the man's anger became clear as he gently took Harry's hands and inspected them carefully. "Good. The rug-burn seems to have been taken care of. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Swallowing, Harry shook his head, and Severus nodded curtly, before meeting his eyes again seriously.

"He'll think twice before every attempting to touch you again, Harry. I'll make sure of that." When Harry didn't say anything, Severus said, softly, hesitantly, "He…mentioned a belt. Has he ever…?"

"No!"

Severus' penetrating stare pierced into him, but Harry shook his head again, insistently. "Honestly, Severus. He's mostly for show. I mean, he might threaten a lot, and he can get rough sometimes, but normally he just wants to scare me."

"That fist looked more than threatening," he growled.

Harry froze, caught. "Er, well…but he really doesn't use his belt. I mean, well…maybe once but…"

Another animalistic growl was ripped from Severus' throat and the man began to pace around the room like a caged animal.

Not quite sure how to react to seeing a man who looked identical to his git of a Professor, looking so angry _for _him rather than _at _him, Harry decided to sit on his bed so he wouldn't collapse in emotional exhaustion.

Severus was growling things under his breath, but Harry thought he caught "knew it was bad, but this!" and "If those bastards even LOOK at him wrong, I'm going to rip their throats out!"

Threading through these statements, like a refrain, was "Damn you to bloody hell, Albus!"

Finally, he stopped, turned on his heel, and was at Harry's side in an instant. He said nothing for a long moment, simply regarding him in silence before saying, gently, "There is far too much to discuss right now, in such sickeningly close proximity to those monsters, but Harry, at least tell me this. You realize that you don't deserve the way they treat you, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Harry said quickly.

Severus watched him silently again for a time and Harry lifted a pleading gaze to him. "I mean it. I know they're jerks and that they've always been awful to me."

Severus continued to look at him before nodding slowly. "Perhaps you do, basically, understand that. At least up here," he gently tapped Harry's head. "But I'm concerned about right here." Touching Harry's chest, he looked at him meaningfully and said, "What I'm concerned you don't fully realize is that you deserve far more than not being abused, Harry. You deserve to have been happy, well-cared for, and loved, unconditionally, your entire life. That is what you deserve, and that is what I intend to rectify to the best of my ability."

Harry bit his lip, trying to shove back and swallow the annoying burning feeling in his eyes. _Damn it! Why am I so weak? Why is it that anyone who ever shows the slightest concern for me, anyone who ever sees something isn't right in my life… why do they make me want to give in so easily? _God, how he wanted to believe Severus. God how he wanted what the man was offering. But this was going beyond what he'd come to expect. Beyond even what Sirius had ever said to him. No one had ever expressed his innermost, bitter, painful desires so perfectly before.

It was too much. Too close to the core of everything he so desperately desired. He couldn't depend on Severus that much. It would just make it worse when he left.

Severus' arm was around Harry's shoulders, now, and he was feeling conflicted for much the same reasons Harry was. _I wish I could bring him back with me. I want to fix him, fix his life. But I can't stay here with him. I need to get home sometime. But…this child. I can't bear to let him stay in pain this way, but knowing I will have to leave him is just…_

Hesitantly at first, Severus pulled Harry close to him in an embrace, and after a moment, Harry returned it. Heaving a sigh, Severus murmured in his deep, silky voice, which Harry suddenly realized he found comforting rather than terrifying, "You deserve more, child. And I want to help you find it. You are a very strong young man, Harry. You have many people who care for you. Do you realize that?"

"I guess," Harry whispered.

Severus hugged him even more firmly to him. "You do," he insisted. "You have many friends who care desperately for you. But it would behoove you to consider yourself in the same light, child."

Harry shook a little, but nodded into the man's broad chest and unexpectedly warm robes, noting how comfortingly like peppermint they smelled.

Eventually, Severus released him, stroking his cheek once, and smiled at the green eyes his wife and son shared, though admittedly hidden under the annoying glasses which obscured them.

Realizing that the boy was likely exhausted enough as it was, and extending their conversation, which hit on so many far-reaching, emotionally traumatic issues would only make that worse, he smiled suddenly and said, casually,

"Well, then, Harry, shall we unpack?"

The boy smiled softly at him, grateful to be able to shove his worries under the rug for the time being, and set to opening his trunk.

* * *

><p>How did I do? I know the end was somewhat mushy, but meh. Parallel Sev is bound to be after seeing Harry treated that way! Anyway, next time (in the Canon world, at least) the Dursleys get to experience life with Severus Snape. Hahaha. Bet they'll enjoy that.<p>

But any ideas for good Dursley-retaliation tactics...let me know! I'll definitely take them into consideration!

Till next time!

tess4aria


	10. Parallel: Welcome Home?

**Chapter 5: Welcome Home?**

**Parallel World**

* * *

><p>Once again, thank you so much for your incredible reviews! I so appreciate your Dursley-retaliation ideas. I've received some great ones.<p>

A/N: One thing I must mention. I went back and edited some of the first few chapters in the Parallel world-dealing with Canon Sev and Parallel Lily's relationship. Lily does care for and love him, but her feelings are a mix of empathy and loyalty to the fact that this is Severus, but the way I had it before...it was as if she were simply casting one Severus aside for another.

That was not my intention, and so, I have changed my wording so hopefully, that is no longer implied. I appreciate your comments and understanding!

And now, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter! Please review!

* * *

><p>oOoOo<p>

The end of the school year arrived, which was a mixed blessing for the unconventional Snape family.

Over the last few days of the semester, Severus had found himself unsure of how to act around Lily, and he could feel a similar kind of awkwardness in the way she treated him. For all the warm smiles and affectionate gestures she directed at him, he could feel something forced in her behaviors.

He knew it was inevitable, after the initial shock of his arrival wore off to some degree, but it was still painful. Up until his disastrous fifth year, Severus had always enjoyed a very open and natural relationship with Lily. So to have any degree of forced politeness in their associations, to move around each other with such careful steps, was unnerving.

He knew he was mostly to blame. He had, after all, taken it upon himself to spend increasingly long hours in his labs, poring over his counterpart's notes, attempting to master everything the other man had in his repertoire.

It had begun with Lucius' introducing him to the potion his counterpart had created to block the flow of neurotransmitters for pain to the brain, concentrating on the dark mark, but moving to guard each and every nerve normally affected by The Dark Lord's method of calling his followers. Though he had a reasonable enough amount in storage, he knew it was of the utmost importance that he learn how to properly make it lest he fall victim to a madman's wrath once again.

But he soon found himself using his obsession with potions research much in the same way he had in his world-as a familiar form of escape from life. In this case, however, he was uncomfortably aware that he was simply attempting to avoid facing his concerns about how he should act around Lily. He cursed himself for the coward he was.

But he knew he could not continue this way much longer. And now, as he glowered at the students happily clambering onto carriages most of them no doubt thought horse-less, he was aware that it would soon become much more difficult to avoid reality.

The squeals of rowdy teenagers drew his sneer and his expression grew darker as he recognized the group causing the ruckus as Pott-er, the brat…and his friends. The Granger girl, he noticed with indifference, was wearing the purple robes of a Ravenclaw rather than the obnoxious Gold and Red he was familiar with, but he was certain she was no less detestable of a know-it-all in this world as in his own. She turned to walk off with Luna Lovegood and the two youngest Weasleys after they had bid their goodbyes. Severus grimaced and looked away.

"Hey, Uncle Sev!"

Though slightly taken aback by the form of address, Severus merely raised an eyebrow before turning to face Draco. Admittedly, the blond boy's presence had always been slightly less undesirable to him than the majority of his other students'. Despite the Malfoy heir's blatant and unrepentant arrogance, he had a certain aptitude in potions and was not entirely tainted by his father's (of his world's) views. Severus had always had hopes he could steer the boy from the dark side, though he knew his attempts were hampered greatly by own apparent Death Eater status.

"Draco," he acknowledged with a curt nod.

The boy grinned and then sent a smug look to the grinning boy to his right. Severus grimaced when he recognized Harry.

"Just wanted to say I'll be seeing you soon, sir," Draco drawled. Pulling Harry aside and casting a quick muffliato, he said, "Good luck. I'll be in touch, okay? Maybe we can mess with your faux daddy dearest's head, yes?"

Harry smirked. "Sounds good…but be gentle, Draco. He seems to be strung pretty tight right now."

"And we don't want him to snap. Got it. I've definitely pushed Severus too far enough times to know that," Draco said lightly. He winced, remembering the many occasions he'd been taken over the man's knee. "But all in good fun, I bet we can figure out some way to get him to loosen up."

"Fair enough. But it's your funeral if you go too far," Harry warned.

With a wink, and a quick one-armed hug, Draco ran off to the carriages, and Harry turned to face Severus, who was eying him suspiciously.

"Do I want to know?" He asked dryly, and Harry smiled.

"I doubt it, Sir. So, er, should we go meet with mum? She said she'd go ahead and meet us at the house."

Severus nodded slightly, wondering that she hadn't told him the same, but then spun abruptly and took off in the direction of the dungeons, Harry trailing behind.

Severus attempted to ignore the boy trailing a fair distance behind him, not sparing a thought for slowing his pace for the boy's benefit. As far as he was concerned, the child was an irritant. Something he had to put up with as long as he was in this world, but not something he had to like or pay any untoward attention to.

Reaching his quarters, he did not even acknowledge Harry before taking a sweeping glance of the place to ensure there was nothing left behind he would want with him this evening, before grabbing a handful of floo powder and vanishing in a burst of green flame.

He swept from the fireplace, gracefully as always, into the living room of his old house at Spinner's End… but on second glance, he realized that it truly looked almost nothing like his home as he remembered it. This room, with its navy blue and white oval rug, cozy armchairs and bookcases filled with a vast assortment of books, was quite…cozy. The hardwood floor that was visible shone bright and appeared polished, in stark contrast to the dusty and ill-kept floor of his own familiar lodging.

It wasn't that he disliked the changes. On the contrary, he was pleased to note the strange new warmth of the place made it nearly unrecognizable as the same house he had been so miserable in as a child under his father's iron fist.

His ruminations were interrupted by the arrival of Harry-who, he noticed, was just as clumsy exiting the floo as he knew the boy to be in his own world. The thought made him scowl, and he only managed to turn his disdainful expression from the boy after the child had certainly received a fair dose already.

"Yeah, I've always had trouble with Floo traveling. Not sure why," Harry said sheepishly, misinterpreting Severus' expression, in an attempt to slice through the awkward silence.

When the man didn't respond, Harry said, "Well, guess I'll go find Mum, then," and before Severus could respond, he vanished, pounding up the stairs.

Severus clenched his fists at the brat making such a racket in his old family home. Of all the impertinence! And the worst of it was, he couldn't rightly order the brat out, because it was not really his, Severus', home in the first place!

Sinking into a comfortable green armchair, Severus massaged his temples for a time, wondering how in the world he would be able to survive this summer-let alone the next year!

But then he heard the sound of soft footfalls and looked up to see Lily step down into the room, smiling lightly at him, and he allowed himself to momentarily fantasize that this were his Lily come back to be with him-that he were in his world, and his love was truly walking into the living room in his lonely house, having come just to see him…

"Hey there. Welcome home, Sev," she smiled, and he returned it half-heartedly. It was all an illusion, after all. As real as she was, she wasn't his. She wasn't part of his reality. He could only be with her for this short reprieve, and then he would have to return to his world. He could not really allow him to attach himself to this Lily who belonged to someone else. It would only make things more painful for them.

Should he, perhaps, have declined the offer to come stay here? Should he have opted to live in the castle over the Summer break after all?

"I was just getting things ready," Lily said softly. "I hope it's comfortable enough."

"Of course," he said. After a moment of awkward silence, he said, "Thank you."

She smiled slightly. "I know you know your way around, but shall I give you a tour anyway? You know…in case some things are different?"

Severus nodded again and followed her as she took him through the familiar dining room, but with unfamiliar place settings and china in a glass cabinet he recognized as having been a pick of his mother's before entering the kitchen which looked much the same as it always had-just much cleaner and brighter-and with no broken cabinet handles or the like. The walls were also newly painted a clean white, all evidence of his father's drunken rages (in this case, in the indentations in the walls from his fits when he would throw things) covered up.

After giving him time to absorb the changes, Lily took him through a glass door into a sunny room with glass walls, many plants, and a piano.

"This…I don't remember," Severus muttered.

"I'm not surprised. We added it about 8 years ago or so. It's probably my favorite room," she added.

He nodded absentmindedly, his eyes grazing over a cushioned window seat beside a small bookcase full of many well-loved books, to rest on the piano. His eyes widened at the realization that it was a Steinway Grand. He let his hands drift over it almost reverently. Though he, himself, had never learned to play, it was something he had always wanted to do, when he was a child. Of course, with all life had thrown at him, any musical inclinations had been shoved far aside, but he could imagine he might have taken great pleasure in the pastime had he the leisure to accomplish it.

"My…counterpart plays, then?" He said it more as a statement than a question, and Lily just nodded.

"Yes. He and Harry both. I've tried, but I'm nowhere near as talented as the two of you."

"The b-Harry plays?" He tried to wrap his head around that. He never would have pinned the loud, impertinent brat, far too impatient to understand the subtleties of potions, to have any talent in music.

"Yes. He's quite in love with it," she affirmed. She then said, lightly, "Maybe you could ask him to play for you sometime? Or he could even teach you," she added. Her tone was teasing, but she also sounded sincere and wistful.

Severus scowled at the thought. "I'd prefer not," he sufficed to say.

Lily sighed and nodded. The man was closing up before her eyes. It seemed that any attempts she made to get him to open up just made him clam up more quickly. She thought giving him some time alone might help, and so she hadn't objected to the hours he'd spent in his labs at school, but things seemed even worse now than before. But then again, she knew he had a lot to adjust to. And now that they had just moved locations, he would have to take time to adjust to life here, as well. She figured she shouldn't push him.

"Well, I'll let you explore on your own for a bit, okay? I'll let you know when Dinner's ready."

Severus nodded, sparing her a slight smile, and she said causally, when he continued to glance at the piano, "All our music books are in that cabinet. Feel free to try." She smiled at the way his body relaxed somewhat. Of course the man was too proud for her to expect him to obediently accept help from Harry in music or anything else. But perhaps music could help him this time, too, much as it had to heal her Sev.

A little bubble of hope in her chest, she left him to himself.

oOoOo

After giving himself time to collect his thoughts, Severus took out a small book of well-known pieces by Bach. He carefully set it up as he had seen others do when he was a child wandering the streets on cold nights in an attempt to escape his father's yelling, stopping to listen at the house of a piano teacher down the street. Sitting on the piano bench, he awkwardly positioned his hands above the black and white keys and let them fall slowly, cautiously pressing one down and letting the sound wash over him before he tried another.

As he experimented, what he remembered learning from his joke of a music class at his muggle elementary school came back to him, and he pressed what he remembered to be "middle c." As if it were a complex potion needing the most precise timing and ingredients for the final result to be anything less than disastrous, he began to match the keys on the piano to the notes on the page, and bit by bit, the simple Fugue began to play out beneath his fingers.

Having once played it through (albeit with the right hand only), he began once again, but with more confidence. Eventually, he began to work the left hand in as well, and when the notes came together to produce the intended harmonies, Severus felt a sudden rush of accomplishment, not so different from what he felt when he discovered combinations of ingredients which together produced a desired result.

"Was that your first time playing?" A soft voice from behind him said.

Severus spun around quickly and glared at the boy invading his privacy. "Yes," he snarled. "And what is your point, if I may ask?"

Harry backed up a step, but then schooled any hurt from his expression and said, evenly, "I was going to say that I'm impressed."

Oh. Great, now Severus felt like an ass for accusing the boy. He nodded his acknowledgement, and that seemed enough for him, as Harry's expression relaxed and he took a cautious step into the room.

"It's great, though, isn't it?" His voice was soft, almost reverent. "Music, I mean. It gives you a way to express so many complex emotions in such an amazing way." He then looked at Severus with sudden excitement flashing in his eyes. "Do you want to hear something?"

Any curiosity about the boy's apparent musical talent was squashed by his lack of desire to witness him show off. "I don't think so, Mr. Po…"he trailed off. "Anyway, I have things to attend to. If you will excuse me."

It made him angry how awkward and stilted he sounded, but he was far beyond his comfort zone currently. And so, he went directly to the place he always felt most comfortable-his lab-which, he was relieved to find, was mostly unchanged from how he remembered it. Severus had kept his private lab much as it had been when his mother had first set it up in the muggle house years prior, though he had updated it over the years. This lab was slightly better stalked than he remembered leaving his own, and was perhaps somewhat cleaner, but otherwise, it was somewhere he was sure he could go when the differences between the worlds became too much.

To give himself something to do with his hands, he began to prepare a vial of the non-addictive Dreamless sleep his counterpart had created. As he fell into the comfort of the methodical movements, he found himself wondering at how, in this world where nearly everything was far better than in his own world-where Lily was here, where the Longbottoms were in their right minds, where the Malfoys were on the side of the Light, and where the Dark Lord was not the overwhelming power he was used to-he felt so unsettled.

He cursed himself for not taking advantage of this-living in this world where most of his dreams had been realized. But he knew that a great deal of what kept him from doing just that was his awareness that he did not belong here. Everything he saw that was in some way better or brighter than in his own world was beginning to feel like a punch in this face. Like a cruel reminder of how bad things were for him.

He was being offered a chance to see what things could have been like had he acted differently.

And the more he saw about this world that was positive, the more miserable things in the other world he saw as his own fault. It was painful. He didn't want to return home to his hell of a life, but he knew he had to. And with that looming prospect, how was he supposed to fake contentment in this world of someone else's happiness?

"Hey, Sev? Dinner's ready!"

Severus looked up from the vial he was bottling to see Lily's smiling face. He forced a smile, though it no doubt resembled much more a grimace. "Alright. I'll be right up."

She nodded and swept away, and he sighed. Regardless, he had to push on. It would not do for him to burden Lily further with his own guilt and concerns.

He made his way into the kitchen and sank down at the place left for him, thinking how odd it was to have someone else cooking in his kitchen. He looked up to meet two pairs of green eyes across the table, and he gulped. The table was circular, and so Lily and Harry were positioned catty-cornered to him. Though looking at Lily was far preferred to the alternative, it was less painful to look at the brat. He felt the weight of his guilt less. He therefore let his gaze wander back and forth indecisively.

Merlin was it weird to see Harry bloody Potter (without the glasses and Potter name) in his kitchen. He had to shake his head roughly to clear it and forcefully shove off the scowl trying to settle itself on his features.

Lily was watching him expectantly, and embarrassed, he realized that he had not even tasted the dinner she had prepared. Not that he was particularly hungry, but it was just good form.

He took a bite of the Lasagna. After swallowing it, he pulled a smile. "It's…great."

There was a pause, before Lily's lips twitched and Harry burst out laughing.

Severus raised an eyebrow in annoyance, and Harry explained through near-tears of mirth, "You don't have to lie, Severus. Mum knows she's not the best cook. That's why you, I mean, why Dad always does the cooking," he said, finally having recovered from his giggles.

Turning a sharp look to Lily, she shrugged somewhat sheepishly. "Guilty, I'm afraid. I've never quite gotten the hang of it. And Sev and Harry have always been so much better at it, I usually let them go at it."

"Ah." Despite himself, Severus felt somewhat more relaxed at the lighter atmosphere the boy had brought on. "It truly isn't bad," he made to assure Lily who then smiled genuinely at him.

"Thank you. But it certainly isn't 'great.'" She grinned. "Garlic bread?"

He took a piece, and Harry met his eyes, grinning. "It's safe. The salad, too. I made them both. Mum insisted on doing the main course, though."

"And I should truly be reassured to hear that you made them?" Severus asked dryly.

Harry laughed lightly. "Well, I suppose you eat at your own risk. But there aren't too many ways you can mess up garlic bread and salad, Severus."

Shaking his head, the Potions Master took a piece and a healthy portion of the colorful salad, a light vinaigrette already mixed in. He had to admit, it tasted quite good, simple as the fare was.

Harry and Lily insisted he take his shower while they cleaned up. His protests fell on deaf ears, but he only truly gave up once they promised him he would have the honor of cleaning up after meals in the future.

"That wasn't too bad, was it, honey?" Lily asked Harry as the man left the room.

The boy shook his head. "No. It wasn't. I think we'll break his shell in soon enough," he said, smiling.

She mussed his hair absentmindedly, and Harry ducked, scowling lightly. They were silent for a few moments, then, and Harry's expression sobered as he watched his mother drift into thought.

"Are you okay, though, mum? I mean…it just looks like it's kind of rough on you, this whole situation."

Lily gently pulled him in for a hug, noticing that he was now an inch or so taller than she. "Yes, it is a little rough. But I'll be fine, darling. Soon everything will be back to normal," she said, though Harry had the feeling she was half attempting to convince herself of that fact. The thought did nothing to comfort him, but he pushed it aside in lieu of helping his Mum who was clearly hurting more at the moment. He hugged her tightly to him.

"I know it will, Mum. Of course we'll get Dad back soon."

"Thanks baby. I guess, Mummy's just a little…" She sighed. "I'm not used to Sev acting so closed-up. He's not letting us in at all…it's just frustrating."

"He just needs to go at his own pace. Let's not push it, okay? Let's act as normal as possible, and include him without being overly obvious about it. I'm sure he'll come around."

Lily pulled back and stared at her son. "When did you get so smart, angel?"

Harry laughed. "It's been a gradual thing, Mum. Out of necessity."

She cuffed him lightly and hugged him again. "I love you, darling. You're completely right. My moping around is going to do nothing to help him, and it's just going to make us miserable."

"Exactly. We might as well enjoy our summer, you know? And besides…"

"Yes?"

"I have some ideas to get him to come out of his shell…"

"And what, pray tell, might they be?"

"Nothing bad, I promise! I can't speak for whatever Draco has planned, but my plans are totally innocent."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"They better be, honey. Or you'll be getting reacquainted with your room and your Dad's cauldrons."

Harry looked shocked, and his mother smirked at him.

"Get to bed, Harry."

"Sure, Mum. Love you."

"You too."

As Lily watched her son run up the stairs, she felt confident that this Severus would come around eventually. But she had the feeling she wouldn't be the determining factor in his change. And she was perfectly alright with that.

oOoOo

When Severus woke up the next morning, he found himself drawn to a strangely familiar, and incredibly haunting tune. He was half-asleep as he drifted down the stairs, but casting a tempus, noted it was already 10am. This must be the magical exhaustion Albus was referring to, as he could not otherwise explain why he felt as if he'd gotten less than 6 hours of sleep.

Nevertheless, he found himself wandering to the Music Room before freezing in place outside, recognizing a Piano Concerto he found incredibly beautiful and remarkably profound. He felt a strange twisting in his gut as he listened to the piece played so brilliantly, and he found himself feeling that he would have to respect anyone who could play a piece with such passion and utter devotion.

As if in his sleep, he opened the door and entered the room, shocked despite himself at the sight of Harry, his fingers jumping nimbly over the keys of the piano, the notes seeming to play themselves.

How could the boy possess the depth to play so meaningfully? For surely someone without depth could not play that way? Severus found he could not answer. He was helpless to listen as the boy continued to play the piece (apparently by memory, as there was no score in sight).

Though he would not have admitted it, a small seed of respect for the boy had been planted deep within him at that point.

He continued to listen in rapt silence, unable to leave until he heard the piece he remembered hearing on occasion on the tape player at his neighbor's house coming to an end. It had been one of his favorites. He remembered that…though he had never discovered the name of the piece. Almost all interest he had in the muggle world had been shoved aside by the time he'd started Hogwarts.

Harry pounded out the final notes of the piece and then, with a gasp of satisfaction, stretched his arms and stood, spinning in apparent happiness. When his flushed face spun to meet Severus' and his expression betrayed genuine surprise, Severus had to grudgingly admit the boy had likely not been intending to show off (at least not entirely).

Harry regarded Severus in silence, his tired smile at the ecstasy of just having finished playing still adorning his face.

Finally, Severus said, quietly, "That piece…"

"Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto. Great, isn't it? One of my favorites."

"Yes…" Severus found himself agreeing before he could stop himself. It was only in retrospect that it hit him that he had just discovered he and the boy apparently had something of a similar musical taste. Of course, that was likely due to his counterpart enforcing his own taste on the boy. Interesting (not to mention disconcerting) nevertheless…

Somewhat awkwardly, Severus said, as he was admittedly curious to continue a discussion of music as the boy apparently had some knowledge of it, "I assume your…father…introduced you?"

Harry nodded, grinning widely. "Yeah. Dad loves the Russian greats. I like Shostakovich's 2nd, too. A lot of Prokofiev is great, though I think some of his pieces are kind of overplayed. I guess that's true for most, though," he rambled. He then hesitated before looking up at Severus somewhat shyly. "Do you think you might want to hear some more sometime?"

Severus regarded him in silence for a time, a battle waging within him, before finally nodding shortly. For one thing, the boy was far less insufferable when playing piano than while speaking, and since they had to spend the summer trapped together anyway…"I would be amenable to that, I suppose."

Harry beamed at him, and Severus felt distinctly uncomfortable. He had to admit, however, that he felt a pull to delve more into the world of music that he had never been able to explore before now. If there was one productive thing he could do while here on this year-long vacation as he was coming to think of it, he figured he might as well take advantage of it.

oOoOo

Once again, when Lily came in for bed, Severus feigned sleep. Only when her breaths had evened out did he allow himself to look her over, to drink in the sight that so haunted his dreams. She was so beautiful. _Lily. _

In many ways, it was torture to be here. To see her, and yet to know he had no right to be with her. Lily would never be his…and yet, here she was, right beside him, inches from him. He could feel her breath ghosting over his face.

Painfully slowly, he stroked her cheek-so warm and alive and so impossibly soft-with the back of his hand. He gazed at her as if she were a work of art and his hardened heart clenched at the irony. But to him, that was all she truly could be. The woman he knew was dead, after all. Her image now lived on only in photographs and in his memory-in the ideal image he had crafted of her.

The woman before him was not his Lily-she was a real, living and breathing person; someone even more perfect than the Lily in his mind, for this woman had imperfections. But she was only more beautiful for them. And yet, he knew he could never be with her.

It was only at times like these, when her beloved eyes were closed to him-only now, when they were separated by the boundary of sleep, that he could imagine her and his Lily to be one in the same.

Kissing her lightly on the forehead, he pulled back and turned away. He would not surrender to the tears that so vehemently demanded their presence be made known.

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed it! I'm slightly self-conscious, but...anyway, what do you think of my bringing music into the equation? I felt that this might be a different way of helping Severus find some initial common ground with Harry...but that's just me. :) Not to mention that I find it believable that Severus could have some insane musical talent considering his genius in Potions...and Harry, if let to stretch his abilities, could be quite the prodigy, I'd say. I will explain my reasoning (and the connections I draw between music and Potions) more in future chapters... but was it believable?<p>

Any comments/ suggestions on anything in this chapter-Sev's inner struggles, etc.-would be greatly appreciated! Any ideas for Draco's scheme to open Sev up? I've got ideas, but I will listen to suggestions.

Thanks again!

tess4aria


	11. Minor Payback

**Chapter 6: Minor Payback**

**Canon World**

Thanks, once again, for your wonderful reviews! And a special thanks to Taq.0 and RisingAngel56 whose ideas I took from for this chapter!

I hope you enjoy it...if so (or even if not)...please let me know!

* * *

><p>oOoOo<p>

Harry sifted through his trunk half-heartedly, eying its meager contents with resignation.

"What's the point of unpacking?" He muttered. Noticing Severus' expression darkening, he tried in vain to hide his possessions from the man, slamming the top shut hurriedly.

The Potions master raised an eyebrow. "Surely you could at least unpack your textbooks, Harry. For as far as I can see, there is certainly little else to do in this…_lovely abode_," he sneered.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."

Gathering his textbooks, he carefully lined them up on his transfigured desk, taking more care than he usually would have with his potions book for Severus's benefit.

The man nodded approvingly, but then stopped short when Harry took out the pitiful assortment of clothing he could call his "own."

"What is that?" Severus asked with distaste.

"Er…" Harry could feel heat flooding his face but did his best to appear composed. "Just my clothes, sir."

Severus' jaw clenched, but he gave no other indication this statement disturbed him in any way. "I see. And are those…_clothes_," he again sneered, "a mere sample or the full extent of your collection?"

Not wanting to answer, and suddenly feeling a surge of annoyance and defensiveness, Harry turned away from the man and hurriedly stuffed the rags in a drawer-for they all did indeed fit into one.

The awkward silence that followed stretched on as Severus regarding Harry closely while the boy attempted to look anywhere but at the man. Finally, though, Harry felt the absurdity of the situation come to a head, and could no longer stand the uncomfortable atmosphere. Spinning on his heel, he snarled, "Yes, this is all I have. Okay? Isn't that sad? Isn't that absolutely pitiful? Go ahead! I know you're thinking it! But I'd rather hear you say it than to have you go on silently pitying me!"

Instead of answering Harry, Severus took three steps to the chest of drawers, hurriedly separated the rags from the Dursleys from Harry's school things, and with a wave of his wand, they burst into flame.

The sudden burst of magic stunned Harry out of his rant, and he watched as the despised hand-me-downs melted quickly into ash.

"I will say no such thing," Severus said finally.

Harry looked up at Severus, and the vulnerable glint in his eye made even more anger surge up within the man. "Harry. I do not think you are pitiful, nor anything approaching weak. I have no such inane notions. And you would do well to rid your mind of them, as well." He put a supportive hand on the boy's shoulder and looked at him seriously. "You will never again wear such despicably ill-fitting garments. And if I have my way, after these two weeks, you will never again come into contact with anything to remind you of your time with these poor excuses for human beings!" He snarled, but then calmed down, taking a few deep breaths.

Having no response ready that could really express his feelings in response to Severus' statement, Harry could only nod. The hope that bubbled up in his chest at the man's words was almost painful.

Suddenly, Severus smiled, though it was in a way Harry hadn't seen in a while-not since Snape, anyway. It was a scheming, malicious smile, and it promised nothing good… for the intended targets, that is. He stepped to the window and turned back to smirk at Harry. "I'm going to be paying a visit momentarily. Tunie won't know what hit her."

"Wait, Severus! Er…what are you planning? Can I watch?"

Severus opened his mouth, looking very much about to refuse Harry's request, but then he sighed and said, "I would prefer not. However, I suppose if you grab your invisibility cloak, you may watch from the landing, as I'll expect the dramatics will take place primarily in the front hall. I will allow it, for one thing, so that, if you feel uncomfortable with the way I am handling things, you may intervene-_from a distance_. After all, my intention is to do this for you, not in spite of you."

Harry nodded, smiled, and grabbed his trusty cloak. With a last glimpse in the mirror Severus had fixed, he slipped away into thin air and out onto the landing to await his justice.

* * *

><p>oOoOo<p>

The doorbell rang several minutes later, and the lumbering movements audible from the living room suggested the Dursleys had been released from their body-binds.

"Boy!" Vernon barked. "Get the damn door!"

Harry hesitated a moment, but then heard Petunia hiss, "Vernon, what if it's one of _their_ kind? The boy will just let them in!"

"Right you are, Pet. Potter!" His voice returned to its familiar bellow once again when addressing Harry. "You stay out of sight, you hear?"

"Yep, loud and clear," Harry called back, smirking at his 'relatives' and their astonishing stupidity. Why they thought it such a grand idea to bellow such revealing venom loud enough for the whole street to hear when they apparently cared so much for how they appeared to their neighbors, Harry would never understand.

Securing his invisibility cloak around his shoulders, Harry noticed Dudley attempting to sneak (and failing miserably due to his bulk) from the kitchen to see what all the excitement was about. The doorbell rang again. Harry smirked. Severus was not a patient man-and though this Severus Snape may be light-years different when it came to dealing with him, Harry, he couldn't imagine the Dursleys would be so lucky…

Petunia raced into the front entryway and peeked through the peephole. As she seemed to be satisfied with whatever she saw, Harry could only assume the Head of Slytherin had cast some sort of illusion charm on it-not surprising in the least, though Harry could definitely say he was glad the man was on his side.

Aunt Petunia opened the door with a simpering smile plastered on her face, but the second she had a clear view of the visitor, she shrieked and attempted to both step as far away from the visitor as she could, and slam the door in his face, at the same time. Needless to say, she failed miserably.

"Hello, Tunie," Severus said in a dangerously calm voice. "Long time no see."

"You!" She gasped.

Harry had to admit he was quite interested. Though Severus had mentioned he had met Petunia when they were young, and that they hadn't gotten along, he didn't know any details of it. And this was, in many ways, part of his family history.

"Petunia, darling, who is it?" Vernon growled from the next room. Harry could hear the tell-tale groans of the living room couch as the massive man heaved himself up.

Petunia seemed lost for words, and her face was frozen in a very ugly expression.

"Not going to invite me in?" Severus asked, sarcasm lacing his tone. "I see your manners are just as laudable as they've always been. But I do hope your neighbors don't start to wonder why it is you choose to shriek at your houseguests rather than welcome them."

At the mention of neighbors and appearances, the horse-faced woman paled and snapped, "Well? Get in, then! Hurry!"

Severus leisurely stepped over the threshold and did not hide his distaste for the house.

"Who the hell are you? Is he another one? A freak?" Vernon's face was purpling by the second.

"He's the freak who made my freak sister what she was!" Petunia hissed, loathing etched into her face.

Severus looked down his long nose at her as if she were a particularly nasty potions ingredient out of place-perhaps a bit of frog innards splashed on a beloved spell book.

"I am…intrigued…to hear your assumption that I have such an ability, but I assure you, Lily could never have been anything but a witch. But worry not, _Tunie_, for even had I such a talent as you suggest, you would be in no danger of benefitting from it. How you share the slightest iota of relation to Lily boggles the mind, as you are near to the furthest thing I can imagine from her. You are the most vile, despicable muggle…ah, forgive me. Perhaps your husband deserves that honor. But you two certainly make quite a pair."

Vernon's fist was flying, but the man had made barely a move before Severus' wand was out, pressing firmly into the suddenly frozen man's beefy neck.

"Don't even think about it, Dursley," he hissed.

Severus began to stroll through the entryway, feigning nonchalance, and holding his wand deceptively casually.

"Wh-what do you want, Snape?" Petunia pressed, glowering.

"I must say, I can't remember many warmer greetings from long-time acquaintances than this, Petunia," Severus mocked. Casting another look around the place for show, he turned to them suddenly. "Tell me, do you not have two boys living under your roof?" Before they could respond, he continued, "Because I can't help but notice the lack of any evidence of any child other than that bloated beach ball you call a son from your lovely family photographs."

"He's camera shy," Petunia said shortly.

Severus snorted, and both adult Dursleys withered slightly under his glare.

"If you're here for the freak, then get him and get out of here! Good riddance!" Vernon finally burst out,

Severus growled and slammed Vernon against the wall, fisting his shirt. "The only freaks, Dursley," he spat, "Are you and your family. For so blatantly abusing an innocent boy!"

"Abuse?" Petunia and Dudley (who quickly scurried away after his outburst) sputtered.

"Innocent?" Vernon barked. "That little freak was a danger to our Dudders from day one! We didn't want to take him-should have just left him there on the doorstep where-"

"Doorstep?" Severus' voice sounded hollow, and Harry saw the man cast a fleeting glance up the stairs at him.

But his thoughts on this point were interrupted by Venon's diatribe.

"…little freak of nature, should have drowned him! That would have shown them, the freaks. Think they're better than us, they-"

"Silencio!" Severus cast, before binding all three Dursleys together and levitating them, none-too-gently, to the floor.

"You will listen to me, you despicable degenerates. I am aware that remorse is beyond you. Perhaps there is still hope for your son, given his age…but for you…There is no point in attempting to explain your wrongs to you. You must experience them first-hand," he grinned evilly, and the fear in the body-bound family's eyes let Severus know they would be shaking in their boots at present, were they able.

"Yes, you see? Your fear proves your guilt without a doubt. You know that what you have inflicted on that child is something to fear."

"First of all…you, boy."

Dudley's eyes widened in fear.

"Fear not…the length of your sentence depends on you." A glint of hope in the watery blue eyes was quickly squashed when Severus laughed harshly. "On whether your family has already wrought such irreversible damage on you that you cannot feel remorse. _Terminum Remorsum!"_

The odd silence after the spell was cast reminded Severus that he had silenced them all. No doubt, they would be emitting all manner of obnoxious grunts at present, were that not the case…

"Allow me to explain. You, boy, who have clearly been let to gorge yourself to the point that I could honestly say you have been the victim of your own type of abuse…will, in a day, be permitted to eat just what your cousin was let to…anything beyond that, and I fear the taste will take a steep dive for the worse." The terror in the boy's eyes confirmed one of Severus' worse fears. Though he had not heard it directly from Harry, the boy was smaller than he should be-both in height and weight-than the Harry he knew. No doubt he had not been given sufficient nutrition…but he truly did not know just how far that part of the abuse stretched.

Turning back to Dudley, he pressed, "And…you have bullied him, have you not?"

Without waiting for response, he said, "you will feel what he felt. As each day passes, you will feel the fear, the paranoia, the insecurity… that you, whether directly or indirectly, caused him to feel. So again, the weight of your sins will equal that of your punishment. And I can promise you, feeling this punishment is unfair will bring you no closer to escaping it. But perhaps you will see where you were wrong…eventually. If that day comes, you will be released from this."

"Now…I doubt such remorse will come as easily to you…" he spat at the other two. With a wave of his wand, he began to cast the same spell. "You will suffer the same effects as your son. However…the most fascinating thing about this little spell of mine, is how…personal…I can make it," he sneered. "Keep that in mind as it takes effect. You'll get no pity from me. Ah yes…and I mustn't forget this."

Another wave of his wand and a shock went through Vernon.

"That was a restraining spell. Just try to lay a finger on Harry again. You will regret ever having done so. And none of you will bother him during his stay here. You will request nothing of him…you will stay away from him. If you do not…I will know. Be assured of that. And I won't be nearly so merciful next time."

With a flourish, Severus spun around and whisked up the stairs, grabbing the still-invisible Harry and pulling him along with him.

Harry gulped once the door was locked.

"Severus, what exactly did you do extra to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon?"

Severus smirked slightly. "Your aunt is somewhat of an obsessive cleaner, is she not?"

Harry nodded.

"No matter how she scrubs, no matter how much she cleans, or gardens…weeds will seem to spring up everywhere, and dust and grime will coat her precious living space…to her eyes, at least."

"Wow…that's…brilliant," Harry said in awe. "And…er…Uncle Vernon?"

"The spell I used on all three is one I designed myself. It will make each of them feel the effects of what they did to you. As I do not know the extent of that piece of lard's treatment of you, I cannot say how serious the effects on him will be. But he will live, as he made you live, for as many years as you were under as roof…at that point, if he feels remorse, the spell will taper. But no sooner."

"So…you mean…thirteen years?" Harry whispered.

"That would be correct."

"But…I mean. I don't know, Severus. I'm used to it. That just seems pretty extreme."

"You, an innocent child, were made to suffer that way for all that time, Harry! If it is extreme, it is only because what they did to you was extreme. And so many times worse than what will now hit them. In many ways, this was a merciful route to go. Perhaps I have even given them an extra ten years for all the weight they will lose," he smirked.

Harry smiled hesitantly back. "Yeah. But they're going to be really angry. What if they come in here and…"

"I put a restraining spell on Vernon, Harry. He can't touch you…and here…" Severus retrieved a pouch in green velvet from his pocket and handed it to Harry.

The boy curiously removed a silver pendant from inside and gasped as he noticed the detailed crest engraved on it. A proud raven with two snakes-their eyes little emeralds-twining around it.

"This is the crest of my mother's family-the Princes. This pendant has many protective charms on it already, and it will allow you to inform me if you are in danger. Simply hold it to your chest and call me in your mind-using a pseudonym-Half-blood Prince. I will be there instantaneously."

"Thank you, Severus," Harry whispered, shocked at the gift, even if it was only temporary. "But this is yours...I mean, don't you need it?"

"I would feel better were you to hold on to it for now, child. Please do this for me."

Harry gulped, but relented. "Alright. I'll take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will. Do not worry, Harry. I do not plan to leave you to that pack of raving lunatics. You know I would prefer you not to have come here in the first place, but this is a necessity for your protection against Voldemort. Were I able, I would not leave you here for a moment…but I have my counterpart's duties to uphold, as much as I wish it differently."

"I understand. And don't worry about me. I think I can survive two weeks here, Severus."

Severus sighed and pulled Harry to his side in a gentle one-armed hug. "I wish you didn't have to be so brave…I suppose, all things considered, it's not so surprising you were offered a chance in Slytherin given the survival skills you seem to have ingrained."

Harry smirked and collapsed on his now remarkably comfortable bed. "Hm. Yeah. You know, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I'd let the hat put me there…it's not like I'm stupid enough to say all Slytherins are bad. Look at you! But…I think it would have been hell for me at first, at least. I mean, look at the tossers in my year! Especially that little twat, Malfoy."

Severus was caught between a desire to chide Harry for his language and relieved amusement that the boy clearly felt comfortable enough with him to speak so openly. About what the boy was saying, he couldn't say he was surprised, given what he'd observed of Draco, Ron and Harry's interactions thus far. Smirking, he sat down beside Harry, where the boy was examining the Prince pendant while lounging on his back. "You know, Harry," Severus said conversationally, "You and Draco are friends in my world."

Harry shot up and stared at him in horrified shock. "No! You're kidding me…that's…that's…"

"Almost as odd as my being your father?" Severus offered lightly.

Harry nearly choked. Hearing the man say it that way made his heart twinge uncomfortably, because he _wasn't _his father. He couldn't be, because he didn't belong here and…

"No, nothing can quite top that," he answered with a cheeky smile, pushing away his unsettled feelings.

"I can imagine," Severus drawled. "Now…how about if I go and see about some dinner for us? I assume you'd rather stay up here?"

"Definitely. I'm not going down there…"

"Understandable. I will return shortly."

Harry lay in his room, waiting for Severus to return, and unable to stop from counting down the days until they would finally be free to leave Privet Drive. He couldn't wait to see where Severus lived…which was something he never would have believed himself capable of feeling. But it was true. He was more excited to go and stay with the man than he had ever been about going to the Burrow.

Because at the Burrow he was always the friend, the guest, for all the Weasleys had done to make him feel like part of the family.

But with Severus, it would be just the two of them. The man continued to treat him in ways suggesting that he cared for him in a different way-as if there was no one he cared for more. He acted like a real parent, as well as Harry understood the concept. He couldn't help but feel that the man looked at him as his…hadn't he called him his son on more than one occasion? And best of all, Harry didn't have to share him with anyone. More so due to the fact that he was only one of several who even knew this Severus existed.

But then again, he couldn't forget that underneath it all, it was a farce. The man wasn't his father. And he wasn't just his, Harry's. He had another son-no, the point was, he had a son, and that son wasn't Harry. He had a wife. He lived in a totally different world…but for now…for this summer and the rest of the year, Harry could be selfish and pretend. Maybe, finally, he could get a taste for what his friends had been made to feel all their lives…

"Harry," Severus said as he reentered the room, knocking lightly to announce his return.

Harry sat up and grinned at the man levitating two trays into the room.

"I hope you don't mind, but there wasn't much I felt appetizing down there," Severus said with a scowl. "So I just made us grilled cheese and tomato soup."

"No, that sounds good. Thanks, Sev. Er, I mean…er, Severus." Harry flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry…don't know why that came out."

Severus was regarding him with an odd look on his face but when Harry looked up to meet him, his expression softened.

"You really are astonishingly like your mother, Harry."

"Huh?"

"That's what Lily calls me-what she has called me ever since we were children."

"Really?" Harry perked up at the mention of his mother.

"Really. Now, how about if we eat this poor excuse for a dinner before it gets cold?"

"As far as misdirection goes, Severus, that wasn't one of your best," Harry smirked. "You could always just use a warming charm."

Severus stared at him for a long moment before letting out a deep, rich laugh. "You've got me there. But I had the feeling we were about to get into much more serious territory. Am I right?"

Harry nodded, looking slightly let-down.

"Harry." Severus rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I will tell you about your mother. Anything you wish about her. But I would like to go about it the right way. And as it is already quite late, I think it better to wait a bit before delving into any serious discussions.

"Yeah. I understand."

Severus nodded, though he knew Harry was not entirely in agreement. Neither was he, for that matter, but he truly felt too emotionally exhausted to tackle that conversation at present.

He couldn't stand the expression on Harry's face however, so he offered a compromise. "Simple as this meal is, Lily is quite fond of this combination. Particularly on rainy days."

"Really?" Harry looked up, grinning.

"Yes," Severus nodded soberly. "However, she would also feel this meal to be dreadfully incomplete."

"What's missing?" Harry leaned forward.

Severus reached into his robe pockets and revealed two familiar-looking bottles. "Here. Now we have a meal your mother would approve of."

"Butterbeer?" Harry grinned, looking somewhat bemused, and blushing a little when Severus paused to open Harry's before passing it over.

"Indeed. Lily has never been one for overly showy meals. At times, simple and comforting can be best."

"Thanks, Severus," Harry said softly. "Cheers."

"Cheers," Severus nodded back.

The two enjoyed their light supper and then Severus vanished the leftovers before transfiguring a bed for himself beside Harry's. Though slightly embarrassed to know he would be sleeping in room with Severus, Harry nevertheless felt a little twinge of warmth and security in the knowledge that the man would be there all night. The Dursleys definitely wouldn't be able to do anything if Severus were right there.

The Dursleys seemed to have shut themselves in their rooms, and so Harry did not run into any of them as he did his nightly ablutions. As he looked at himself in the mirror, he gave a sigh of relief at the knowledge that he really wouldn't have to worry about losing unhealthy amounts of weight this summer.

He returned to his room and couldn't fully hide his shock at seeing Severus in nightwear. Not that he was wearing anything truly shocking (such as an outfit more to Dumbledore's taste), but the black flannel pants and dark green t-shirt were still far more casual than he ever could have imagined Severus Snape as wearing. Of course, he had let go of his childish assumptions that the teacher slept wrapped in a cape hanging from rafters (or shut up in a coffin) after first year…but even so…

Severus smirked, correctly interpreting Harry's shock.

"What? You've never seen your Potions Master dress this way?"

"No, sir," Harry said, laughing, as he made his way to his bed, climbing under the covers. He started to reach over the cut the light, but then paused, remembering he had a roommate at present.

"I'll get it, Harry," Severus assured, before swiftly removing Harry's glasses and propping them on his bedside table. Harry's face was burning, but his lack of glasses stopped him from noticing what Severus planned to do next. Suddenly, though, his covers were lifted up and off of him before falling down much straighter than they had been originally. It was only when Severus began to smooth them into place that he realized the man was actually tucking him in!

Harry was so mortified (though secretly pleased) that he kept his eyes averted until he heard Severus' silky voice from across the room. "Sleep well, Harry."

"You too, Severus. Night," he said.

And he actually did, without any form of sleep aid. For the first time in a long while, Harry fell asleep with a smile on his face, free of his usual nightmares.

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><p>Thanks for reading! So things are going pretty well for this Harry and Sev...but what is to come? Will Harry kiss the Dursleys good-bye? -ugh, not literally.<p>

Anyway, more Dursley-ness and Sev/Harry next in the Canon world. But first, a return to our stubborn Sev in parallel...

Thanks for your reviews!


	12. Parallel:  First Steps?

Embrace: Chapter 7

Parallel World

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><p>I am sorry to those of you who may have been close to giving up on me! It has been an extremely busy semester what with writing my thesis, etc. This story has not been abandoned, however!<p>

Here we may see gears beginning to turn in Harry-Lily-Sev's relationship. Let me know what you think!

a/n: I'm not sure when Draco's birthday is, but I'm just putting it in the summer about a month or so before Harry's...

Thanks for all your lovely support. Hope you enjoy it.

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><p>o O o O o<p>

Over the next week, Severus became truly cognizant of the effects of the magical exhaustion Albus had warned him about. Not only did he find himself sleeping until 9:30 or 10 each morning-something unheard of for him and which left him as the last to rise of the three currently residing at Spinner's End-but he also found himself unable to concentrate sufficiently until mid-afternoon.

This, of course, put a major dent in his plans to follow through with his usual summer routine of working on delicate potions research, undisturbed, until lunchtime. After his third Longbottom-worthy mistake, however, he found himself reluctantly moving upstairs in search of Potions quarterlies. He was interested, after all, to see what other differences this world might hold in the realm of Potions research.

But much to his chagrin he found himself so distractible while reading that he worried whether the trip across dimensions hadn't tarnished his intelligence irreversibly.

Perhaps it was no great surprise, then, that he found himself relenting to the subtle hints the boy continued to throw at him to join him for his morning practice sessions. Four days after their first conversation in the music room, Severus found himself entering the high-windowed room (as indifferently as possible) and settling down (with the same Potions journal he had yet to make much progress reading) on a window-seat, listening in silence while pretending to be deeply involved in potions research.

Harry seemed to be more perceptive than he would ever have given him credit for, as the boy, after acknowledging his presence with a short nod, would make no further move to involve him forcibly. While Severus attributed this more to the brat's looking out for his own skin and perhaps sensing that any chattiness on his part would not be taken to warmly, he had to admit the boy's quiet companionship come mornings was not entirely unpleasant.

Lily had clearly been made aware of his new morning routine, though she made no overt mentions of it. He could see, though, in the small sly smiles she graced him with that she knew something was going on. Had it been anyone but Lily, such an expression would have put a sudden and complete stop to his show of interest in music whatsoever. As it was, though, Severus found himself willing to do almost anything to bring that little familiar smile to her face.

And besides, he was simply using the music as a way to relax him as he read his journals! It had nothing to do with the brat.

Regardless, each morning around 10 he would drift down the stairs towards the warmly lit room with a cup of tea left for him on the bedside table by Lily. By that time, she would already have long-since settled herself into the cozy alcove she had fashioned into her private study to work on research (as she had a publication deadline coming up with _Charmed Findings Today_). Not desiring to interrupt her, and not willing to stew about how useless he felt being unable to complete a basic potion until mid-afternoon, Severus would pass by the closed door and into the music room to observe Harry as he played.

Despite his misgivings, after a few days of following this routine with negligible commentary from any parties involved, he found himself consenting to take Harry's place on the piano bench when offered. He then proceeded to try mimicking the boy to the best of his ability. The first time, he hadn't realized Harry was still in the room with him until a score was deposited unceremoniously on the piano before him.

Severus scowled at his presumption, but Harry shrugged. "You're doing really well by ear, but it's just faster this way. And I know you like being precise."

Severus rolled his eyes but began again, this time eying the score.

By the fourth impromptu lesson-not that Snape thought of them as such-he would occasionally allow the boy to gently correct his hand placement before he snapped at him.

Several lessons later, Harry got up the courage to suggest he try something slightly shorter.

"What?" Severus growled.

Harry put up his hands. "I promise you, Severus, these are very difficult and very real pieces of music. It's just, it might help you get a better grasp of the range of music you can play to start with some etudes."

At Severus' sharp glare, Harry rolled his eyes.

"Etude doesn't mean easy."

"I know the meaning of etude, brat!"

Taking a deep breath and asking Merlin for patience, Harry smiled tightly. "Even if you do, I don't know if you believe me." When the only answer forthcoming was a withering glare, Harry sighed and said "Okay, then. Fine." And then, to make a point, he picked up his book of Chopin Etudes and opened a page to the 12th Etude and handed it to the man. "Here, I'll prove it to you. Read that. I'll play it."

And with that, he slid onto the bench beside Severus and began to play the very technically difficult etude by heart. Once finished, he looked at Severus with an eyebrow raised. The man looked like he wanted to snarl something about arrogant showoffs, but instead slammed the score on the music stand and began to play it himself, getting increasingly frustrated when he made errors.

"Severus, that isn't what I meant," Harry said, somewhat exasperated.

"Then what, pray tell, _do _you mean?" He spat.

"I was just trying to prove to you that etudes are worth learning! Here. Start with this…"

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><p>Harry left the room wiping his brow and collapsed on the sofa next to Lily, who was taking a break in the living room.<p>

Lily laughed. "You okay? I thought I heard a slight disagreement."

"He's exhausting," Harry complained. "I mean…he's too proud, not to mention too stubborn, to start with anything other than the greats, and even then, he only wants to play what he thinks is most difficult! It's like everything he knows about potions has gone out the window! He should know that a slow piece can actually be more difficult. It's more subtle, but that's what makes it so beautiful!"

Smiling, Lily kissed Harry's messy hair, laughing when he made a face. "Explain that to him, honey. As many times as it takes."

"Yeah, I know…"

Taking a deep breath, Harry said, "Alright, I'm going back in."

Opening the door to the music room again, he found Severus hunched over the Revolutionary Etude, scowling.

Harry failed to bite back a laugh, which earned him a serious glare. Unable to help himself, he quoted softly, "There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I do not expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is Potion-making. However, for those select few...I can teach you to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses…" [from PS]

Severus froze and snarled "Get out. If you think you can get away with mocking me-"

"Not at all," Harry quickly assured him. At the man's dubious expression, Harry sighed but then offered him a conciliatory smile. "I just wanted to remind you of your own teachings," he said calmly, arms crossed. "What I just said is exactly what you told me when I began to play."

Severus sneered at Harry. "I believe you have the wrong subject, boy."

Harry shook his head. "No. It's relevant. Really. Look, you understand better than anyone else I know the power in subtlety. The beauty may be hidden, but in the end, it holds the most potential, right?"

Severus' wrath seemed to have retreated to just below the surface, and the man was now just eying Harry as if he were an interesting potions ingredient, so the dark-haired boy continued, "Let's try something a little more subtle, shall we? Now trust me, this is still an absolutely fantastic piece, and is no less difficult even if it is slower, but I think it'll get the point across-the Schubert Piano Sonata no. 16 in A. Oh…if we have time, we should train up to play a Schumann Trio with Draco! He's been whining about wanting to do it for a while, you know. That'd be a good birthday present for him. Don't you think, Da-uh…"

Harry's rambling cut off on a dime when he realized how far away his excitement had taken him.

Though disturbed by the boy's near-slip, Severus could not honestly fault the boy…after all, he found himself having trouble reconciling this reality with his own. How much more difficult would it be for this boy when he, Severus, was the only thing different-the only evidence of there being other realities-particularly when Harry was so clearly consumed by discussion of a topic he was passionate about.

Not wanting to draw attention to the boy's mistake as it would only draw attention to his uncomfortable predicament, Severus shoved the boy over lightly on the bench and settled the music comfortably before him. As he began to work through it, Severus grudgingly had to accept, once again, that the boy perhaps knew what he was talking about-regarding music, that is.

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><p><em>2 Weeks Later<em>

"Mum, Da-," Harry trailed off awkwardly, determinedly avoiding eye contact with Severus, not altogether wishing to see the disgust likely to be in the man's face at his second slip in as many weeks.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Lily asked without missing a beat.

"I still have to get Draco his birthday present. Could we go to Diagon Alley, do you think?"

"That's right," Lily smiled. "His party's this weekend, isn't it? I'm still busy trying to make that deadline for _Charmed Findings _right now, but I'm sure I could spare an hour or so. How about tomorrow?"

"Am I to presume we are expected to participate in the Malfoys' latest extravagance?"

Lily looked at Severus in slight exasperation. "Severus, I know you don't enjoy the pomp they put into their parties and whatnot, but things have been much more relaxed since the Weasleys started attending. And besides, Draco is family. Surely you wouldn't want to disappoint him?"

Severus sighed. Great. Lay on the guilt trip. It was as if Lily had taken lessons from the Headmaster…

"Very well. I suppose a trip to Diagon Alley would not go amiss. If I am to attend, I don't believe I should go empty-handed."

Lily and Harry smiled at him and it only then occurred to him that he had practically volunteered to go shopping with the brat. Clearly, the magical exhaustion was having profound and far-reaching effects indeed.

Lily looked as if she were trying to restrain a full-blown grin, and nodded quickly (likely trying to catch him before he could retract his inane offer). "Oh Severus, would you? I really am so busy trying to make that deadline-it would really help me out if you could go with Harry instead."

Harry looked as if he were about to open his mouth to object to his having to be babysat-he was nearly 16, for Merlin sakes!-but the fact that this would be a chance to get Severus out of the house did not go unnoticed by him, and he wisely held his tongue.

Though he looked as if he had just swallowed a sour lemon, at the hopeful and grateful look in Lily's green eyes, he found himself nodding. He spent the rest of the meal in silence, half-listening to Harry and Lily chat about trivial affairs. Observing them, he thought about just how domestic the scene was he found himself in. Both mother and child looked completely relaxed as they shared a laugh over the newest Weasley antics…

Severus began to gather dishes. Despite the ease with which he could complete the task with the help of magic, at the moment he simply desired something to do with his hands-some activity to distract him as he watched the family he could never have.

As much as the boy rarely failed to truly irritate him (as surprising as that was), a part of himself resented how obviously and naturally the boy could make Lily happy. He clearly held a place in her heart that he, Severus, could never hope to attain.

Oddly enough, though, the level of bitterness and resentment he was so used to feeling when in close proximity to Harry Potter-a feeling he was becoming increasingly conscious of as being rooted in his feelings for James Potter-did not afflict him this time. Rather than the old sense of righteous anger, he could only feel a sense of resignation. He could not call up the sense that Potter was stealing something rightfully his. No. Looking at the two together, he could only see what was already right. Lily was more rightfully Potter's-Harry's-than his, just as she would always be his counterpart's rather than his. He had no place in their world, and he had no right to demand one.

"If you'll excuse me," he murmured before fleeing the kitchen for the sanctuary of his potions lab. He neglected to light the room, and simply collapsed against the wall once he reached the cold, stone floor. Sitting there in darkness, he allowed himself a moment of weakness and cowardice and self-pity.

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><p>Lily watched Severus leave with sad eyes. The man seemed to be on such shaky ground these days, and she felt so helpless to do anything. She knew his closed-off behavior was rooted in his understanding that their current situation was temporary, and that allowing himself to become attached was therefore dangerous. She understood this and yet, they had a year to spend together regardless. There had to be something they could do to make things less painful. Because she wasn't sure how much longer they could continue on this way.<p>

She looked at Harry as he moved to the living room and settled down in a big, squishy armchair. At least he seemed to be dealing with things well. She shouldn't have been so surprised, though. Harry had a remarkable capacity to jump back after adversity…something which likely had aided his counterpart, if what she knew of his life was true.

A chill and a deep, hollow ache gripped her as she thought of the Harry in that other world. Severus hadn't told her much about him-and she hadn't pressed for more information-but as time had stretched these past weeks as they continued on in their tense, polite civility, she found her mind flitting almost constantly to the goings-on in the other world. Not only to her Sev-her husband whom she missed with her entire being-but to Harry.

She found herself increasingly concerned for his well-being and determined to know the full story. It wasn't that he hadn't been on her mind, sitting on her conscience, since the moment Severus had come to her world, but with all she had to worry about with her publication deadline and Severus (both of them), she had been so preoccupied (or so she had told herself) that she had pushed thoughts of the other Harry to the back of her mind. In truth, though, she felt incredibly guilty and somewhat sick with herself for avoiding the topic. Even if that boy were not her son in the way her Harry was, he was still the same boy, really. How could she not care for him? How could she not have demanded more information?

Severus had been very vague, mentioning (sneeringly) that he been christened "The _boy-who-lived_"for surviving the killing curse when his parents had not.

How horrible, to be famous for the event that left you parentless. In retrospect, Lily wished she'd pointed that out to Severus as he had regaled her with his story-but at the time, they had both been nearly delusional in the newness and surreality of the concept of his dimension travel and the bizarre and tragic nature of his story as a whole that it just simply hadn't occurred to her.

But so Harry had been parentless. Severus hadn't mentioned who he'd grown up with. He had only made passing references to the dangerous situations the boy had been involved in over his years at Hogwarts, most involving Voldemort in some capacity. He had mentioned Harry as being reckless. That was about it.

But she knew there was much more to the story. For one thing, if Harry had been so reckless and foolhardy, as Severus had suggested, the question was _why_? Her Harry had a mischievous streak, for sure, but he knew not to endanger his life. He understood what was at stake and how it would affect those around him were something to happen to him.

The fact that the other Harry had been involved in so many horrifically close-calls and survived made her think that someone, at least, was watching out for him. Her first instinct was Severus, and she was almost certain she was right. She couldn't imagine him sitting back and letting her son endanger himself, regardless of their relationship.

But who had allowed Harry to grow up to risk himself so easily? And why had Dumbledore allowed so much under his nose?

She had a bad feeling about it all.

Lily smiled as she looked up and saw that Harry had drifted off on his textbook. She shook him lightly. "Harry, love. I think it's time for bed," she said softly.

Blinking, he moved sluggishly before smiling sleepily up at her. "K, Mum. Night, then."

"Goodnight."

Just before he left the room, she ran to him and pulled him back into a tight embrace. He turned around and looked at her in curiosity and concern.

"Sorry, Harry. Just Mum being silly. Sleep well, now."

He nodded slightly, still eying her with suspicion, but must have realized he wouldn't get much out of her at the moment, and so he left up the stairs.

Sighing, Lily cleaned up a bit more but soon found her mind drifting, once again, to her worries about the other world. She needed to confront Severus soon. She was concerned, though. He seemed so delicate in a lot of ways (not that she would ever voice that opinion in front of him), but particularly with his constant exhaustion, she just wasn't sure how much he could take. Still, she knew this would weigh on her mind until she got some definite answers from Sev.

But when she got up to their room, he was already asleep.

Lily sighed as she looked at him. Even in sleep, he didn't look peaceful. He had had several nightmares since he'd come to this world, but he had quickly awakened and had been quite close-mouthed about them, so Lily hadn't pried, though she had offered him her Sev's own dreamless sleep from their stores most nights. She wished he would swallow his pride and take it each night without provocation, but his stubbornness, at least, was one thing that hadn't changed from the Sev she knew.

Well, peaceful sleep or not, she wasn't about to wake him to question him now. Hopefully he'd be ready to open up to her soon.

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><p>I know. Kind of short. But I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Next Parallel chapter should have more action-expect shopping, Malfoys and possibly nightmares and confrontations.<p>

If there is anything you'd like to see in this story, let me know and I'll consider it.

Please review!

Thanks!

tess4aria


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